Could A Soy-Based Diet Protect Against Osteoporosis?

Menopausal women can protect themselves from developing osteoporosis through a diet rich in soy protein and isoflavones, according to a recent study.

A major factor in the development of osteoporosis in menopausal women is the reduction in estrogen synthesis. Previous research has suggested that isoflavones, because of their similar structure to estrogen, could help to protect against development of the disorder.
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To explore the effects of soy isoflavones on bone health during menopause, researchers randomized 200 women between a daily supplement of 30g soy protein with 66 mg of isoflavones and a supplement containing 30g of soy protein alone for 6 months. 

Note: the 66 mg of isoflavone used for the study were equivalent to an East Asian diet, which is inherently rich in soy foods. Conversely, the average western diet only consists of 2-16 mg of isoflavone.

During the study, researchers measured participants’ plasma bone turnover markers as well as changes in their cardiovascular risk and thyroid function.

The study showed that those adhering to the soy diet including isoflavones had significantly decreased levels of βCTX—a plasma bone turnover marker—compared to the women taking soy alone. Those in the soy and isoflavones group also showed decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those in the soy group.

“This study suggests that soy may confer a beneficial effect on bone health with a significant decrease in bone turnover markers seen for both resorption and formation after supplementation with 30 g soy protein and isoflavones that was not seen for soy protein alone,” they concluded.

The complete study was presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:

Sathyapalan T, Aye M, Kilpatrick ES, et al. Soy protein with isoflavones reduces bone turnover markers in women during their early menopause—a randomized double blind parallel study. Endocrine Abstracts. 2015 October [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1530/endoabs.38.P5.