It is well-known that some of the most accurate BP readings occur right as someone wakes up and at that event, the BP will be shown for the most part to stay lower than that of a daily average. 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]. Accessibility (2016) also studied whether there was an association between different types of interventions and the reduction in hot flushes and night sweats [90]. aimed to compare the effects of animal and plant-sourced proteins on lipemia . It supports the evidence that isoflavones can moderately attenuate bone resorption in women with low estrogen levels, primarily at the level of the lumbar spine and the femoral neck. Effect of soy isoflavone supplementation on plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations: A meta-analysis. However, the intake of specific isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, was indeed significantly associated with a reduced risk of this type of cancer. Analysis of isoflavones in Foods. 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. (2016) included 17 studies (nine case-control studies and eight cohort studies) [80]. However, when a subgroup analysis by a class of flavonoids was carried out, they concluded that these inverse associations were significant for all categories of flavonoids except for isoflavones and flavonols. They observed that daidzein and genistein intakes were associated with a significant reduction of prostate cancer risk. 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. Ingram D., Sanders K., Kolybaba M., Lopez D. Case-control study of phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer. Ronis M.J., Little J.M., Barone G.W., Chen G., Radominska-Pandya A., Badger T.M. Effects of Acid Rain on Plants and Trees. 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. In view of these results, we can conclude that there is scientific evidence that supports the beneficial effect of isoflavones on bone health and thus in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Atkinson C., Frankenfeld C.L., Lampe J.W. (2019) studied whether equol supplementation could benefit equol nonproducer subjects in lowering the incidence and severity of hot flushes [85]. This difference could explain the slow effect of isoflavones in alleviating hot flushes. Qiu S., Jiang C. Soy and isoflavones consumption and breast cancer survival and recurrence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. There are a total of 15 3 = 3375 possible outcomes. Nevertheless, this association was not shown when equol or isoflavones were consumed. Grosso et al. In contrast, it seems that isoflavones do not act on central neurotransmitters directly. government site. Duffy C., Perez K., Partridge A. Bacterial metabolites of isoflavones forming in the gut. Gaya P., Medina M., Snchez-Jimnez A., Landete J.M. Moreover, five studies reported side-effect data, and after the analysis, no significant differences were observed between the two groups. Plants grow best when the moon is in the waxing phase, when its gravitational pull is strongest. Since hepatic lipase and lipoprotein lipase hydrolyze triglycerides into their constituents glycerol and fatty acids, their activation results in the delivery of the fatty acids to tissues such as muscle and adipose tissue. Presence of four chemical forms of the three isoflavones found in soybeans. Murota K., Nakamura Y., Uehara M. Flavonoid metabolism: The interaction of metabolites and gut microbiota. Li L., Xu L., Wu J., Dong L., Zhao S., Zheng Q. Specifically, the time to achieve half of the efficacy was 11.6 weeks for soy isoflavones, while for the rest of the compounds, the onset time was near 0 weeks. He et al. 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. In the same line, in European men, isoflavone concentrations did not affect the risk of developing prostate cancer. In any case, it is important to bear in mind that a great number of expert scientists and doctors think that breast cancer survivors should not increase their isoflavone intake [94], although others consider that their consumption is safe and beneficial [95]. (2020) carried out their meta-analysis of 63 controlled trials, including 6427 postmenopausal women and concluded that isoflavones improve bone density at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and the distal radius in menopausal women [50]. Kim Y., Je Y. Flavonoid intake and mortality from cardiovascular disease and all causes: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Regarding this topic, three systematic reviews and three meta-analyses were analyzed (Table 2). (2016) suggested that a daily intake of soy isoflavones, ranging from 20 to 100 mg/day, reduced total cholesterol and triglyceride plasma concentrations, as well as some markers of oxidative stress (nitric oxide and malonaldehyde), thus reducing cardiovascular risk [52]. Zhong et al. This study was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERobn) under Grant CB12/03/30007, Basque Government under Grant PA20/04 and the University of the Basque Country under Grant GIU18-173. The enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) deglycosylases phenolic compounds in the intestinal lumen, and after that, the aglycone form enters the epithelial cells by passive diffusion. The four chemical forms of the three most abundant isoflavones. Applegate C.C., Rowles J.L., Ranard K.M., Jeon S., Erdman J.W. Daily J.W., Ko B.S., Ryuk J., Liu M., Zhang W., Park S. Equol Decreases Hot Flashes in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Vlachopoulos C., Aznaouridis K., Stefanadis C. Prediction of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality with arterial stiffness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help 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. Indeed, the dose levels of dietary isoflavones require a better definition, and the measurements of isoflavone consumption should be provided in quantifiable terms. Contraction stimulates translocation of glucose transporter GLUT4 in skeletal muscle through a mechanism distinct from that of insulin. Modified from Mace et al. The results indicated that the isoflavone intake decreased the ovarian cancer risk by 33%. 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. Changes to Earth's climate driven by increased human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are already having widespread effects on the environment: glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, river and lake ice is breaking up earlier, plant and animal geographic ranges are shifting, and plants and trees are blooming sooner. However, it is important to point out that the beneficial effects of soy isoflavone consumption have been exhibited by women with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, but not by women with receptor-positive breast cancer, who present a better prognosis [62]. In tropical climates meat which is exposed to the moonlight rapidly becomes putrid ; and in the Indies, the negroes who will lie sweltering and unoovered beneath the full glare of a tropical sun, carefully muffle their heads and faces when exposed to the moonbeams, which they believe will cause swelling and distortion of the features, and sometimes even blindness. A total of 16 studies were included in their meta-analysis with a range of 24 to 236 subjects. Bustamante-Rangel M., Delgado-Zamarreo M.M., Perez-Martin L., Rodriguez-Gonzalo E., Dominguez-Alvarez J. Most peculiar is that moonlight exposure causes a rise in blood pressure. [(accessed on 21 September 2020)]; Messina M., Nagata C., Wu A.H. The main forms of conjugates in soybeans are the malonyl derivatives [14]. The mean age of women ranged from 49 to 58.3 and 48 to 60.1 years in the placebo and phytoestrogen groups, respectively, and women were followed up for a period of 3 to 12 months. 1Nutrition and Obesity Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Lucio Lascaray Research Institute, 01006 Vitoria, Spain; sue.uhe@zemog.aoias (S.G.-Z. Sansai K., Na Takuathung M., Khatsri R., Teekachunhatean S., Hanprasertpong N., Koonrungsesomboon N. Effects of isoflavone interventions on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. However, there is still a great heterogeneity among studies, which makes the current data inconclusive. The two systematic reviews conclude that isoflavones have an important role in reducing hot flushes [52,53], although some observations need to be pointed out. Moonlight sonata. Isoflavones could be used as an alternative therapy for pathologies dependent on hormonal disorders such as breast and prostate cancer, cardiovascular diseases, as well as to minimize menopausal symptoms. Winkel-Shirley B. Biosynthesis of flavonoids and effects of stress. In their systematic revision, which included 1307 menopausal (n = 139) and post-menopausal (n = 1268) women, Perna et al. During menopause, there is a loss of bone density that can cause osteoporosis. The site is secure. Consensus: Soy isoflavones as a first-line approach to the treatment of menopausal vasomotor complaints. For this reason, the results should be interpreted with caution, and more randomized clinical trials are required. Daidzein, genistein and glycitein occur naturally in the aglycone form, and thus their absorption is faster than that of others. Two of the studies also revealed that women who were able to produce equol or who had received equol supplementation could have had a greater benefit from isoflavones [53]. Kelly G.E., Nelson C., Waring M.A., Joannou G.E., Reeder A.Y. In Japanese men, pre-diagnostic circulating levels of genistein, daidzein and equol did not significantly affect prostate cancer risk. Arjmandi B.H., Smith B.J. ); sue.uhe@zednanref.oderfla (A.F.-Q. In this line, another meta-analysis, which included 52 controlled trials and 5313 patients, shows that soy isoflavones have beneficial effects on bone mineral density in the femur neck, lumbar spine, and hip, regardless of body weight or ethnicity [49]. This finding suggests that bacterial deglycosylation contributes significantly to isoflavone absorption [32]. For this reason, the results should be interpreted with caution, and more randomized clinical trials are imperative. HRT: hormone replacement therapy, RCT: randomized controlled trial, VSM: vasomotor symptoms. For this purpose, 23 studies with 2167 patients were included in this meta-analysis, which showed that a daily dose of more than 54 mg could decrease the endometrial thickness in North American women, whereas the contrary effect was observed in the Asian sample. The conclusion was that isoflavones exerted little influence over bone mineral density and thus over bone health during menopause, although not all the studies observed the same effect. The authors suggested that this difference could be due to different genetic backgrounds and dietary patterns among Asian and Western populations. (2018) published a meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort studies (two studies from Japan with 241 cases and 503 controls, and five studies from Europe with 2828 cases and 5593 controls) [75]. 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]. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal The Sun ruled our heart, blood circulation and spine, while the Moon had influence on growth, fertility, breasts, stomach, uterus and menstrual flow. Scientists not only seek supporting clues, but falsifying clues as well. Zamora-Ros R., Knaze V., Rothwell J.A., Hmon B., Moskal A., Overvad K., Tjnneland A., Kyr C., Fagherazzi G., Boutron-Ruault M.C., et al. Lu L.J., Anderson K.E. Science is Knowledge Space & Physics The Effects of Moonlight May 22, 1858 Professor Piazza Smyth, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, in his interesting account of a recent scientific. In soybeans, the three most abundant isoflavones are present in four chemical forms: aglycone, glycoside, acetylglycoside and malonylglucoside (Table 1 and Figure 2). The latter is the most common form in foodstuffs, with the exception of fermented soy products, such as miso and tempeh. and Rossi et al. Xu B., Chibber R., Ruggiero D., Kohner E., Ritter J., Ferro A., Ruggerio D. Impairment of vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity by advanced glycation end products. Lund S., Holman G.D., Schmitz O., Pedersen O. Schmidt M., Arjomand-Wlkart K., Birkhuser M.H., Genazzani A.R., Gruber D.M., Huber J., Klbl H., Kreft S., Leodolter S., Linsberger D., et al. Proof by rational experiment seems to have been. Bardin A., Boulle N., Lazennec G., Vignon F., Pujol P. Loss of ERbeta expression as a common step in estrogen-dependent tumor progression. Equol is produced from the isoflavone daidzein by intestinal bacteria, mainly in the large intestine. The authors found a statistical inverse association between isoflavone consumption and colorectal cancer risk in case-control studies, although not in cohort studies. At high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might . Potential mechanism of action of isoflavones on bone metabolism. Zhang Q., Feng H., Qluwakemi B., Wang J., Yao S., Cheng G., Xu H., Qiu H., Zhu L., Yuan M. Phytoestrogens and risk of prostate cancer: An updated meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. As with other phenolic compounds, isoflavones can be presented as free forms (aglycones) or conjugated with carbohydrates (glycosides). The meta-analysis included 15 studies in which the number of participants ranged from 30 to 252. Isoflavones (high dose: 0.675.5 mg/day; and low dose: 0.0120.1 mg/day). The results showed that a higher regular intake of foods rich in isoflavones might potentially decrease colorectal cancer incidence. Thirty-seven articles presenting evidence of the physiological effects of viewing nature were selected. You J., Sun Y., Bo Y., Zhu Y., Duan D., Cui H., Lu Q. Soy isoflavones and their metabolites modulate cytokine-induced natural killer cell function. and J.T. Additionally, Yan and co-workers, in their meta-analysis with a total of ten prospective cohorts and seven case-control studies (including 508,841 participants and 17,269 cardiovascular disease events), observed that the consumption of soy foods, but not that of isoflavones, was associated with a lower risk of total cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease and stroke) [57]. Hua et al. Abdi et al. 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. The Effects and Action Mechanisms of Phytoestrogens on Vasomotor Symptoms During Menopausal Transition: Thermoregulatory Mechanism. Micek A., Godos J., Brzostek T., Gniadek A., Favari C., Mena P., Libra M., Del Rio D., Galvano F., Grosso G. Dietary phytoestrogens and biomarkers of their intake in relation to cancer survival and recurrence: A comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis. However, the magnitude of risk reduction in Asian women was slightly larger than in non-Asian women (22% vs. 18%). . The work reported by Lambert et al. For this reason, the results should be interpreted with caution, and more randomized clinical trials are required. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners. With regard to the published meta-analysis, the studies included were restricted to randomized controlled trials. Messina M.J. Legumes and soybeans: Overview of their nutritional profiles and health effects. Setchell K.D., Brown N.M., Lydeking-Olsen E. The clinical importance of the metabolite equol-a clue to the effectiveness of soy and its isoflavones. Further, Chalvon-Demersay et al. In this sense, soy isoflavones have been proposed as beneficial because, in theory, they may contribute to the maintenance of good bone health (mass, mineral density and bone structure) in women who are at this stage in their life. Thus, its consumption, according to epidemiological and clinical studies, has been postulated to be related to a decrease in the risk of different diseases. Menopause is characterized by a decrease in estrogen levels and is often accompanied by a range of symptoms. Isoflavones are phenolic compounds with a chemical structure similar to that of estradiol. Conceptualization, S.G.-Z. 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. (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]. THE effect of light on plant life has been the subject of many scientific investigations. In this section, 16 meta-analyses have been revised: Nachvack et al. The difference for isoflavones required to find an effect can be due to variations in the amount of isoflavone intake between both populations. 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. The light of the moon also influences animals that are active in daytime. 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]. Prospective study on usual dietary phytoestrogen intake and cardiovascular disease risk in Western women. In this line, three meta-analyses were conducted to study isoflavone consumption and endometrial cancer risk. (2019) conducted a meta-analysis where 23 prospective studies with a total of 330,826 participants were included. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Effects of isoflavones in menopausal symptoms. Moreover, the number of publications grouping women according to pre- or post-diagnosis intake criteria is small. In miso and tempeh, the aglycone form is the most abundant one [9]. (2018) analyzed 12 studies with 37,275 women with breast cancer and reported that soy isoflavone consumption at a pre-diagnosis stage might have a small effect on the survival of postmenopausal women with breast cancer [69].