It has been reported that soybean foods are effective in reducing cholesterol during climacterium. We divided students into three diet groups (soybean, yam and unrestricted) and investigated for correlations between changes in cholesterol counts and diet for a period of 82 days. The amount of isoflavone intake from soybeans and soybean-processed foods was calculated for each group. In the soybean group, intake of isoflavones increased to 85 mg compared with the baseline amount of 39 mg. The actual intake of isoflavones in soybean foods or the isoflavone-like substances in domestic yams, conjectured values suggest a higher intake of isoflavones in the yam group than the others, and it is surmised that isoflavone intake is also effective in the young generation.
