0
Sign In  | Subscribe
19 June 2007, Vol 146, No. 12>
Summaries for Patients | 19 June 2007

Effects of the Phytoestrogen Genistein on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women FREE

[+] Article and Author Information

The summary below is from the full report titled “Effects of the Phytoestrogen Genistein on Bone Metabolism in Osteopenic Postmenopausal Women. A Randomized Trial.” It is in the 19 June 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 146, pages 839-847). The authors are H. Marini, L. Minutoli, F. Polito, A. Bitto, D. Altavilla, M. Atteritano, A. Gaudio, S. Mazzaferro, A. Frisina, N. Frisina, C. Lubrano, M. Bonaiuto, R. D'Anna, M.L. Cannata, F. Corrado, E.B. Adamo, S. Wilson, and F. Squadrito.


Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(12):I-34. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-146-12-200706190-00002
Text Size: A A A

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

As people age, their bones become less dense and bone fractures occur more easily. Estrogen helps to maintain bone health in younger women, but after about 30 years of age, estrogen levels begin to decrease and then fall sharply after menopause. Estrogen replacement therapy is effective at maintaining bone, but because of its side effects, it is no longer recommended for this purpose.

Many women who are looking for “natural” ways to promote bone health use phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring estrogen analogues, which are found in soy products. Genistein is a phytoestrogen that is a common ingredient of products marketed to promote bone health. Typically, however, the level of genistein in these products is too low to be effective. Also, the effectiveness of phytoestrogens such as genistein has not been carefully studied.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

To find out whether genistein improves bone health in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.

Who was studied?

389 postmenopausal women with osteopenia who were otherwise healthy.

How was the study done?

The researchers assigned patients to take 2 pills that contained a total of 54 mg of genistein or a placebo pill daily for 24 months. Both pills contained vitamin D3 and calcium, which are necessary for healthy bones. The placebo pills contained no other active ingredients. The researchers measured bone density and performed several blood tests to see whether bone breakdown and formation occurred after 24 months. Because estrogens can make the lining of the uterus thicker and can lead to cancer, the researchers used ultrasound tests to measure the thickness of the lining of the uterus to see whether genistein also caused this side effect.

What did the researchers find?

After 24 months, women who took genistein had a greater increase in bone mineral density than the women who took the placebo. In addition, bone markers were more favorable in women taking genistein than in women taking placebo. Gastrointestinal side effects were more common among women taking genistein than in women taking placebo. The thickness of the lining of the uterus did not change in either group, suggesting that genistein may be safe to use in terms of uterine health.

What were the limitations of the study?

The study had too few participants and was too short to determine whether genistein reduces fractures and whether side effects might become more of a problem when genistein is used for longer than 24 months.

What are the implications of the study?

The phytoestrogen genistein, when taken with vitamin D3 and calcium, has favorable effects on bone health compared with vitamin D3 and calcium alone.

Figures

Tables

References

Letters

NOTE:
Citing articles are presented as examples only. In non-demo SCM6 implementation, integration with CrossRef’s “Cited By” API will populate this tab (http://www.crossref.org/citedby.html).
Compression-Only CPR: Pushing the Science Forward
Cone
AAM 2010;304:1493-1495.
All you need to read in the other general jounals
BMJ 2010;341:c5893-c1494.

Comments

Submit a Comment
Submit a Comment

Summary for Patients

Clinical Slide Sets

Terms of Use

The In the Clinic® slide sets are owned and copyrighted by the American College of Physicians (ACP). All text, graphics, trademarks, and other intellectual property incorporated into the slide sets remain the sole and exclusive property of the ACP. The slide sets may be used only by the person who downloads or purchases them and only for the purpose of presenting them during not-for-profit educational activities. Users may incorporate the entire slide set or selected individual slides into their own teaching presentations but may not alter the content of the slides in any way or remove the ACP copyright notice. Users may make print copies for use as hand-outs for the audience the user is personally addressing but may not otherwise reproduce or distribute the slides by any means or media, including but not limited to sending them as e-mail attachments, posting them on Internet or Intranet sites, publishing them in meeting proceedings, or making them available for sale or distribution in any unauthorized form, without the express written permission of the ACP. Unauthorized use of the In the Clinic slide sets will constitute copyright infringement.

Toolkit

Buy This Article

to gain full access to the content and tools.

Want to Subscribe?

Learn more about subscription options

Register Now for a free account
Advertisement

Related Content

Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.

Topic Collections
PubMed Articles
Genistein reduced insulin resistance index through modulating lipid metabolism in ovariectomized rats.
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) Issue date: 2012 Nov
Mammographic breast density and serum phytoestrogen levels.
Nutrition and cancer Issue date: 2012 Aug

Annals of Internal Medicine

Other Resources

Copyright © 2013 The American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704

Buy This Article

to gain full access to the content and tools.

Want to Subscribe?

Learn more about subscription options

Register Now for a free account
Forgot your password?
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.
(Required)
(Required)