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Soy-Rich Diet May Protect Bones After Menopause
By REUTERS
A diet rich in soy may help women retain strong bones after
menopause, thereby reducing their risk of fractures and osteoporosis,
research findings suggest.
In a study published in the January issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
researchers report that postmenopausal women who consumed the
most soy-based foods had the strongest bones after adjusting for
the number of years since menopause began, and their weight. Very
thin postmenopausal women tend to have frail bones.
Some studies have suggested that plant estrogens in soy, known
as phytoestrogens, can alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause.
In particular, compounds known as isoflavones, which have a chemical
structure similar to the female estrogen hormone estradiol, are
thought to mimic the effects of natural estrogen.
This may be helpful during menopause when estrogen production
drops. Lower estrogen levels can increase the risk of fractures
and the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, and lead to other
menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, irritability, aching
joints and depression, the authors note.
To investigate, the team of Japanese researchers led by Dr. Yoshiaki
Somekawa estimated the intake of isoflavones in the diets of 478
postmenopausal Japanese women. Overall, heavier women and those
who recently went through menopause had the thickest bones.
In both the early and late postmenopausal periods, women who consumed
the highest level of isoflavones in foods such as tofu, boiled
soybeans and soy milk, had significantly thicker bones than women
who consumed the lowest level of isoflavones.
Women who consumed the greatest amount of isoflavones in the early
postmenopausal period also had significantly fewer backaches and
aching joints. But intake of isoflavones did not appear to influence
menopausal symptoms in late postmenopause, the report indicates.
``High consumption of soy products is associated with increased
bone mass in postmenopausal women and might be useful for preventing
(low estrogen) effects,'' the authors conclude.
SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology 2001;97:109.
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