Soy is rich in plant protein, isoflavones, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. To clarify the associations between soy intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) events, we performed a meta-analysis and review. A total of 1963 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 29 articles with 16,521 T2D and 54,213 CVDs events were identified by the eligibility criteria. During a follow-up of 2.5-24 years, the risk of T2D, CVDs, coronary heart disease, and stroke in participants with the highest soy consumption decreased by 17% (total relative risk (TRR) = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74-0.93), 13% (TRR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81-0.94), 21% (TRR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.88), and 12% (TRR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79-0.99), respectively, compared to the lowest sot consumption. A daily intake of 26.7 g of tofu reduced CVDs risk by 18% (TRR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.74-0.92) and 11.1 g of natto lowered the risk of CVDs by 17% (TRR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.89), especially stroke. This meta-analysis demonstrated that soy consumption was negatively associated with the risks of T2D and CVDs and a specific quantity of soy products was the most beneficial for the prevention of T2D and CVDs. This study has been registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022360504).
Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; health; meta-analysis; soy; type 2 diabetes.