Dietary isoflavone intake is associated with evoked responses to inflammatory cardiometabolic stimuli and improved glucose homeostasis in healthy volunteers

Abstract Background and aims Consumption of foods that modulate inflammatory stress in genetically-prone individuals may influence development of cardiometabolic diseases. Isoflavones in soy-derived foods function as phytoestrogens, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, inhibit protein-tyrosine kinase activity, and may be atheroprotective. We examined the relationship between soy food consumption and inflammatory responses to endotoxemia, postprandial responses to oral lipid tolerance test (OLTT), and insulin sensitivity from frequently sampled intravenous tolerance tests (FSIGTT). Methods and results We administered low-dose endotoxin (LPS 1 ng/kg) to induce transient endotoxemia in young, healthy volunteers ( N = 215) of African (AA), and European (EA) ancestry as part of the GENE Study. We further supported these findings in two independent samples: the MECHE Study and NHANES. Soy food consumption was a significant predictor of peak cytokine response following LPS. Individuals with moderate-high (>1.48 mg/day, N = 65) vs. low-no (