In view of the results gathered in the present review, we can conclude that there is scientific evidence that reveals the beneficial effect of isoflavones on bone health and thus in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The difference for isoflavones required to find an effect can be due to variations in the amount of isoflavone intake between both populations. During menopause, there is a loss of bone density that can cause osteoporosis. The six meta-analyses show a slight improvement in the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. Two meta-analyses, which covered prospective cohort studies, showed that soy isoflavone consumption was not associated significantly with mortality linked to cardiovascular events [56,62]. In general terms, it has been observed that in Asian countries where there is high consumption of soy and its derived foodstuffs, isoflavone intake is high, ranging from 15 to 60 mg/day [20,21], whereas, in western countries, it is notably lower, around 12 mg/day [22,23,24]. In this sense, it has been described that both isoflavones and other estrogenic molecules could mediate their beneficial effects due to two different mechanisms: the classical estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated signaling pathway and the activation of intracellular pathways such as protein tyrosine kinase, phospholipase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) [5,6]. Urinary isoflavonoid excretion in humans is dose dependent at low to moderate levels of soy-protein consumption. and J.T. In a study conducted by Karr et al., the authors analyzed the urinary excretion of genistein, daidzein, equol and O-DMA in fourteen young men and women [47]. Regarding cancer, scientific evidence suggests that isoflavones could be useful in reducing the risk of suffering some types of cancer, such as breast and endometrial cancer, but further studies are needed to confirm these results. While equol production seems to be similar in animals, it is very variable in humans [41], and therefore, beneficial effects referred to equol have been observed only in individuals with a specific microbiota composition [38]. They also explained that the differences between isoflavones and the rest of the drugs might be because the latter act by modulating central neurotransmitters and, as a consequence, by regulating the central thermoregulatory centers in the hypothalamus. PV panels have been linked . He Bays that his thermometrical instruments were sensibly affected by the moon's rays, even at the lowest of two stations occupied by him at different elevations. Nevertheless, this association was not shown when equol or isoflavones were consumed. The light reflected off the moon has an effect on life on Earth, which isn't surprising, but not every lunar influence is heralded by a wolf's howl. Lastly, with regard to isoflavone consumption safety, it seems that they are safe and that the most common adverse effect is mild and occurs at the gastrointestinal level. Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain. Sex and long-term soy diets affect the metabolism and excretion of soy isoflavones in humans. Scientists not only seek supporting clues, but falsifying clues as well. May affect males and females differently A 2015 study of 205 people found that the full moon may affect sleep differently in males and females. Franco O.H., Chowdhury R., Troup J., Voortman T., Kunutsor S., Kavousi M., Oliver-Williams C., Muka T. Use of Plant-Based Therapies and Menopausal Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Perna et al. Perez-Cornago A., Appleby P.N., Boeing H., Gil L., Kyr C., Ricceri F., Murphy N., Trichopoulou A., Tsilidis K.K., Khaw K.T., et al. Zhao T.T., Jin F., Li J.G., Xu Y.Y., Dong H.T., Liu Q., Xing P., Zhu G.L., Xu H., Miao Z.F. Simental-Menda L.E., Gotto A.M., Atkin S.L., Banach M., Pirro M., Sahebkar A. Postprandial lipemia detects the effect of soy protein on cardiovascular disease risk compared with the fasting lipid profile. However, the authors suggested that more prospective cohort studies are needed to further investigate this association and that the quantity of isoflavone intake should be accurately measured because flavonoid contents in food can vary significantly. Therefore, it is necessary to support these results with additional studies. Barnes S. The biochemistry, chemistry and physiology of the isoflavones in soybeans and their food products. Indeed, Kim and Je (2017) indicated that a high intake of flavonoids is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases in men and women [56]. and A.F.-Q. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Isoflavone glycosides have to be hydrolyzed to the aglycone form prior to its absorption by passive diffusion in the upper small intestine [28]. In: Thompson M.J., editor. Hormone replacement therapy has been proven to be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms, although isoflavones have gained popularity as an alternative treatment to hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms. However, the authors pointed out several limitations of this study, such as the important source of heterogeneity in their study. Grosso G., Godos J., Lamuela-Raventos R., Ray S., Micek A., Pajak A., Sciacca S., DOrazio N., Del Rio D., Galvano F. A comprehensive meta-analysis on dietary flavonoid and lignan intake and cancer risk: Level of evidence and limitations. Only one study examined the effects of red clover on night sweats, and a significant association was found, which showed a decreased frequency in night sweats. You et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/usda-database-isoflavone-content-selected-foods-release-20, Acetyldaidzin, acetylgenistin, acetylglycitin, Malonyldaidzin, malonylgenistin, malonylglycitin, Moderate attenuation of bone loss, primarily at the level of the lumbar spine and the femoral neck, Prevention of osteoporosis-related bone loss in any weight status or treatment duration, Isoflavone interventions, genistein (54 mg/day) and ipriflavone (600 mg/day) in particular hold great promise in the prevention and treatment of bone mineral density, Probably they have beneficial effects on bone health in menopausal women but there are controversial reports about changes in bone mineral density, Soy isoflavones (2080 mg) and equol (10 mg), 1Meta-analysis 1Systematic review and 1clinical trial, Attenuation of lumbar spine bone mineral density, Prospective cohort and case-control studies, 508,841 participants, 17,269 with CVD events (stroke, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke), No associations between soy isoflavones consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary heart disease, 548 participants (272 case and 276 controls), Non-significant change in flow-mediated dilation (parameter of endothelial function), Various designs (double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design, crossover design), Isoflavones 80118 mg/day and 10 mg/day of S-equol, Positive effect of soy isoflavones on arterial stiffness, 1391268 menopausal and postmenopausal women, Reduction in total cholesterol and triglyceride plasma concentrations, 337 healthy, diabetic or hypercholesterolemic individuals, Reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, Decreased risk of acute coronary syndrome or coronary heart disease, 9% lower risk of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer mortality, Inverse association between isoflavone intake and both overall mortality and breast cancer recurrence, Isoflavones (the amount varies greatly among different soy foods), Pre-diagnosis, soy isoflavone consumption has a poor effect on survival of postmenopausal women, High dietary intake of soy foods (dose non-defined), Significant reduction of breast cancer risk, Sample sizes (from 100 to 15,688 participants), Daidzein, genistein, and equol (dose non-defined), Daidzein (34%) and genistein (28%) were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, Prospective cohort study (3) Case-control study (10), 178,947 (7067 cases and 171,880 controls). Ko K.P., Kim C.S., Ahn Y., Park S.J., Kim Y.J., Park J.K., Lim Y.K., Yoo K.Y., Kim S.S. In their systematic revision, which included 1307 menopausal (n = 139) and post-menopausal (n = 1268) women, Perna et al. Furthermore, soy protein has been linked to an improvement in nitric oxide production and contributes to increased arterial compliance [65]. (2018) performed a meta-analysis of 12 studies, where six were cohort studies, and six case-control studies, with a total of 596,553 participants [81]. Abdi et al. The results showed that a higher regular intake of foods rich in isoflavones might potentially decrease colorectal cancer incidence. . Ingram D., Sanders K., Kolybaba M., Lopez D. Case-control study of phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer. The aglycone and conjugate forms of genistein represent up to 60% of total isoflavones, this being up to 30% in the case of daidzein. Despite the positive effect of isoflavones, the authors emphasized that the effects took a long time to appear. Grosso et al. In the same line, in European men, isoflavone concentrations did not affect the risk of developing prostate cancer. Background Climate change and the current phase-out of fossil fuel-fired power generation are currently expanding the market of renewable energy and more especially photovoltaic (PV) panels. From laboratory experiments, it's known that light intensities as low as 0.1 lux (approximately 0.01 foot-candle) during the night can influence photoperiodic time measurement in some plants and animals. Due to a decline in sunlight, the development of leaves . With regard to the mechanisms by which isoflavones act to reduce cancer risk, it has been suggested that the effects are due to the similarity of the isoflavone molecule to estradiol. Mace T.A., Ware M.B., King S.A., Loftus S., Farren M.R., McMichael E., Scoville S., Geraghty C., Young G., Carson W.E., et al. After the consumption of around 17 mg of isoflavones per day, the median plasma concentrations of genistein, glycitein, daidzein and equol were 245.3 ng/mL, 9.8 ng/mL, 86.8 ng/mL and 12.7 ng/mL, respectively. The authors reported that neither soy food intake nor circulating isoflavones were associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. They also note that the effects of isoflavones are greater when administered as aglycones. Effect of soy isoflavone supplementation on plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations: A meta-analysis. Estradiol, which has proven efficacy on hot flushes, needs 3.09 weeks to achieve half of its peak activity, while isoflavones require 13.4 weeks, suggesting that 12 weeks of treatment is not enough for soy isoflavones to exert a beneficial effect. aimed to compare the effects of animal and plant-sourced proteins on lipemia and blood pressure [60]. Non-pharmacological treatments included isoflavones, which appeared to be better than placebo in the relief of vasomotor symptoms, although not significantly better than the treatment with estradiol and progesterone. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. (2018) revised 13 epidemiologic studies involving 178,947 participants: 7067 cases and 171,880 controls; among them, three were prospective cohort studies, and ten were population-based case-control studies [71]. Although the mechanisms of action of isoflavones are not completely understood, it seems that isoflavones not only reduce the rate of bone resorption but also increase the rate of bone formation. Sotoca A.M., van den Berg H., Vervoort J., van der Saag P., Strm A., Gustafsson J.A., Rietjens I., Murk A.J. The results showed no significant association between isoflavone consumption and gastric cancer risk, with the highest (0.675.5 mg/day) versus the lowest (0.0120.1 mg/day) categories of dietary isoflavone intake. Daidzein is first converted into dihydrodaidzein, which is the precursor of both equol and O-demethylangolensin (O-DMA) [37]. It is also important to mention that isoflavones could act as potential anticancer compounds due to their antioxidant role in malignant cell proliferation and differentiation (Figure 5). (2015), the authors examined the efficacy of phytoestrogens in reducing hot flushes [86]. Daily et al. In the aforementioned mechanism, it has been reported that isoflavones bind to both ER and ER, although they present a higher affinity towards ER receptors [7]. Sansai et al. By contrast, the total isoflavone amount is high in soy flour, protein isolate or edamame [19]. The aim of the present review is to gather the scientific evidence existing nowadays on the main beneficial effects of isoflavones on health: bone health, cardiovascular risk, cancer and menopausal symptoms. 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