With benefits including menopause relief and heart health soy is a rich protein source. According to a comprehensive 2012 healthcare professional study sponsored by the St. Louis, MO-based United Soybean Board, 77% of healthcare professionals recognize the health benefits of including soy in consumer diets. In addition, the independently conducted study also found many of the study participants also viewed soybean oil to be as healthy as canola oil, and perceived agricultural biotechnology to be positive if it enhanced the nutritional benefits of food products.  

Nearly two-thirds of healthcare professionals viewed biotechnology as a positive method for food production (61%). One in three study participants reported being aware of specific health and nutrition benefits (33%); within that group, health professionals most often mentioned increased nutrients (52%). Additionally, health professionals identified a number of other positive health and agriculture attributes – including many specific to soy – ranging from reduced saturated fat content in food products to the use of fewer pesticides/herbicides in farming.
 
Often labeled “vegetable oil” on supermarket shelves, soybean oil rated highly in the study. In fact, the majority of participants said they perceived soybean oil to be as healthy as canola oil (67 and 69%, respectively). “I’m encouraged to see health professionals recognize soybean oil as a healthful choice, given that it is rich in polyunsaturated fats and relatively low in saturated fat, and a perfect ingredient for preparing healthful meals such as a vegetable and chicken stir-fry,” said Lisa Katic, RD, a spokesperson for the United Soybean Board.
 
Many health professionals reported that because they were made aware of biotech enhancements to soybeans that reduce saturated fat and increase omega-3s, they were likely to recommend increased consumption of soybean oil (43 and 42%, respectively). The United Soybean Board said the findings corroborated the International Food Information Council’s 2010 Consumer Perception of Food Technology survey results showing that consumers are more likely to purchase foods produced through biotechnology that provide more healthful fats like omega-3 and limit trans fat (76 and 74%, respectively).
 
Ms. Katic agreed with those sentiments. “U.S. soybean farmers are seeking out innovative ways to grow crops with traits that reduce ‘bad’ fats and increase ‘good’ fats, including non-fish based omega-3 essential fatty acids,” she said. “That’s important for human health and the environment, as these soybeans will provide a renewable source of omega-3s rather than depleting oceans of marine sources.”
 
On a related note, a large majority of healthcare professionals considered U.S. soy farming practices “sustainable” (88%).
 
The United Soybean Board said efforts to produce crops with improved nutritional value via biotechnology were also supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly known as the American Dietetic Association, and a majority of study participants said they agreed with the association’s advocacy of biotechnology (59%). Health professionals’ support of biotechnology in food production fell in line with new consumer findings that will be released in the summer of 2012. The 19th Annual Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition study, also sponsored by the United Soybean Board, found that over half of those familiar with the term “biotechnology” believed it has a positive role in food production (58%). This reflected an eight percent jump in consumer support from levels that remained constant in 2010 and 2011 at 50%.
 
The self-administered survey consisted of a nationally-representative sample of 204 dietitians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the United States. It had a margin of error of +/- 4.23 – 6.9%, with a confidence level of 95%.