HHS HealthBeat (October 21, 2009)

Soy isoflavone tablets and bone density

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Tablets containing isoflavones extracted from soy protein might not help postmenopausal women prevent bone loss after all.

Previous research indicated that modest amounts of soy foods, rich in isoflavones, helped to protect against bone loss. This could suggest that soy isoflavone tablets might provide an alternative to hormone therapy, which has been linked with health problems such as a higher risk of breast cancer and blood clots.

But Iowa State University researcher D. Lee Alekel reported at a meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research:

[D. Lee Alekel says] “Soy isoflavones at the doses that we provided had no effect on bone.’’

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011