Supplement for Metabolic Syndrome Now Includes Soy Powder Said to Have Up to 10 Times “Ordinary” Lunasin Level

Lunasin is the naturally occurring soy peptide that has been shown to be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of soy, says dietary supplements brand Reliv International. The company says that its GlucAffect supplement, which is marketed to help against metabolic syndrome, now includes the company’s LunaRich ingredient. LunaRich is an exclusive soy powder that Reliv says provides five to 10 times the amount of lunasin as ordinary soy powder.

LunaRich was developed at the Missouri Plant Science Center (MPSC) exclusively for Reliv International. In a press release, the firm describes lunasin’s role in helping to lower cholesterol. “[A] naturally occurring  soy peptide called lunasin targets cholesterol at an earlier stage, reducing the HMG-CoA without blocking it entirely. LunaRich soy powder harnesses the power of the lunasin peptide to balance cholesterol.” The company says that most cholesterol is produced in the liver by the HMG-CoA reductase gene.

The firm adds that unlike statins, which may block HMG-CoA but block them “too much,” a naturally occurring soy peptide like LunaRich can help target cholesterol at the earlier stage, “reducing the HMG-CoA without blocking it entirely.”

“[T]he increased levels of lunasin in LunaRich soy powder have given GlucAffect an even greater edge in the fight against metabolic syndrome,” added Reliv’s chief scientific officer Carl Hastings, PhD.

“In developing LunaRich for Reliv, we have maximized lunasin levels in soy,” added Alfredo Galvez, PhD, who Reliv says was the first scientist to discover lunasin.