A new study says that a soy-based diet can reduce bone loss or osteoporosis, a condition older women suffer from. Findings show that foods rich in the types of protein and isoflavones found in soybeans have protective effects on bone health among menopausal women.
Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by marked bone density loss seen in both men and women upon reaching the age of 50 and above. However, 80 percent of those affected are women because of the bodily changes associated with menopause.
An estimated 200 million women worldwide are suffering from osteoporosis. In fact, this brittle bone disease causes more than 8.9 million fractures each year and approximately 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan are suffering from this condition.
Menopausal women are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis because they experience a decrease in the hormone estrogen, which is responsible in protecting the bones of the body. The greater the bone density a woman has upon reaching menopause, the lesser the risk of developing osteoporosis.
However, some women lose bone density faster than others. A woman can lose up to 20 percent of bone density during the first five to seven years following menopause.
The researchers from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom presented the preliminary findings of their study at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh. In the study, 200 women in early menopause received a daily supplement containing soy protein with 66 mg of isoflavones or a supplement with only soy protein for half a year.
Blood samples were collected from the women over the 6-month period. The researchers measured markers of bone turnover including the protein βCTX, a marker of bone loss, and P1NP, the most sensitive marker of bone formation.
Findings show that women who took in supplements with soy protein and isoflavones had marked lower levels of βCTX than the women who had taken daily supplements that only contained soy protein.
This means that women who were given soy plus isoflavones had a smaller rate of bone loss, reducing their risk of developing osteoporosis. Isoflavones have a similar function and chemical structure to estrogen.
"We found that soy protein and isoflavones are a safe and effective option for improving bone health in women during early menopause. The actions of soy appear to mimic that of conventional osteoporosis drugs," explained Lead author Dr. Thozhukat Sathyapalan of Hull's department of academic cardiology.
"Supplementing our food with isoflavones could lead to a significant decrease in the number of women being diagnosed with osteoporosis," he added.
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