references
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: "Small Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Concentrations Predict Risk for Coronary Heart Disease"
Current Opinion in Lipidology: "The Composition and Metabolism of Large and Small LDL"
Journal of Nutrition: "Soy Protein Favorably Affects LDL Size Independently of Isoflavones in Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women"
Cleveland Clinic: "Is Soy Good for You — Or Not?"
Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases: "The Evidence for Saturated Fat and for Sugar Related to Coronary Heart Disease"
Current Atherosclerosis Reports: "Influence of Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat on LDL and HDL Particle Distributions"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Leading Causes of Death"
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Whey Protein Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Endothelial Function and Lipid Biomarkers in Adults with Prehypertension and Mild Hypertension: Results from the Chronic whey2go Randomized Controlled Trial"
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Effect of Whey Protein on Blood Lipid Profiles: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials"
The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging: "Effect of Protein Source During Weight Loss on Body Composition, Cardiometabolic Risk and Physical Performance in Abdominally Obese, Older Adults: A Pilot Feeding Study"
Cleveland Clinic: "7 Tips for Choosing the Best Protein Powder for You"
Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.
Most protein powder has no negative effect on cholesterol.
Image Credit: Korchemkin/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: Korchemkin/iStock/GettyImages
Different types of protein shakes affect your cholesterol in different ways, but studies show that whey protein and soy protein may both help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. There are also other benefits of protein shakes, like weight loss and lower blood pressure.
The Best Protein Powder for Gaining Muscle
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: "Small Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Concentrations Predict Risk for Coronary Heart Disease"
Current Opinion in Lipidology: "The Composition and Metabolism of Large and Small LDL"
Journal of Nutrition: "Soy Protein Favorably Affects LDL Size Independently of Isoflavones in Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women"
Cleveland Clinic: "Is Soy Good for You — Or Not?"
Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases: "The Evidence for Saturated Fat and for Sugar Related to Coronary Heart Disease"
Current Atherosclerosis Reports: "Influence of Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat on LDL and HDL Particle Distributions"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Leading Causes of Death"
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Whey Protein Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Endothelial Function and Lipid Biomarkers in Adults with Prehypertension and Mild Hypertension: Results from the Chronic whey2go Randomized Controlled Trial"
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Effect of Whey Protein on Blood Lipid Profiles: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials"
The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging: "Effect of Protein Source During Weight Loss on Body Composition, Cardiometabolic Risk and Physical Performance in Abdominally Obese, Older Adults: A Pilot Feeding Study"
Cleveland Clinic: "7 Tips for Choosing the Best Protein Powder for You"
