Soy Labs' Research & Projects

Our Research Philosophy

One of Soy Labs' core corporate values is transforming innovative science into high quality nutritional products. We emphasize strong basic research with an intense focus on the major health and wellness concerns facing society today such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, menopause, cancer and successful aging.

Our Research and Development roadmap includes research projects with foresight into the future health needs of today's consumer as well as expanding the research portfolio of our current products.

Continuous clinical trials are the key to the exploration and discovery of new ingredients and formulations that may make a significant difference in the future of preventable and chronic public health challenges. We are currently conducting human clinical trials on natural soy bioactive components and cardiovascular health. The scientific advisory board of the Research Department here at Soy Labs collaborates with both national and internationally renowned scientists at leading universities and medical centers. Our continuous work covers an array of innovative scientific activities and discourse regarding the latest in plant science & soybean biotechnology.

Our commitment to science and innovation is backed by an ongoing investment in research and intellectual property protection. Soy Labs is dedicated to research—it is the foundation of our business and our ingredients. We strive to build a "product innovation pipeline" between universities and the nutrition business community to continually offer products that are in line with market trends and meet consumers' evolving health needs.

Lunasin

Lunasin was first discovered in 1996 by Dr. Alfredo Galvez, Soy Labs' leading researcher, as a result of his research to improve the nutritional profile of soy protein at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Galvez realized that this impressive soy peptide, which is found in small quantities in soybean seeds and soy-based foods, blocks cell division by binding to specific chromosomal proteins called “hypoacetylated histones.” Because there is consistent epidemiological data regarding soy and cancer prevention, Lunasin was first investigated as a factor that might prevent cancer cells from dividing and multiplying. The mechanism of action for Lunasin and cancer prevention was included in prestigious journals, such as Nature Biotechnology and the Journal of Cancer Research. As Dr. Galvez continued to study Lunasin, it became evident that the soy peptide had another powerful mechanism of action– lowering cholesterol. While soy has long been linked to heart health, recent studies indicate that protection of the lunasin peptide component so that sufficient amounts are bioavailable once inside the body is the key to its ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

To learn more, visit lunasin.com.