Conclusions : Isoflavone treatments exert a moderately beneficial effect against  estrogen-deficient bone loss in women .
The effect appears dependent on whether isoflavone treatments are in aglycone form ; we conclude that beneficial effects against bone loss may be enhanced for isoflavone aglycones
Background : Age-related estrogen deficiency leads to accelerated bone resorption .
There is evidence that , through selective estrogen receptor modulation , isoflavones may exert beneficial effects against  estrogen-deficient bone loss .
Isoflavone aglycones show higher bioavailability than their glycosidic counterparts and thus may have greater potency .
Objective : To summarize evidence , we executed a systematic review and meta- analysis examining isoflavone therapies and bone mineral density ( BMD ) loss in peri- and postmenopausal women .
The soy isoflavones for reducing bone loss study: 3-yr effects on pQCT bone mineral density and strength measures in postmenopausal women.
Soy isoflavones exert inconsistent bone density-preserving effects , but the bone strength-preserving effects in humans are unknown . Our double-blind r and omized controlled trial examined 2 soy isoflavone doses ( 80 or 120mg/d ) vs placebo tablets on volumetric bone mineral density ( vBMD ) and strength ( by means of peripheral quantitative computed tomography ) in healthy postmenopausal women ( 46 - 63yr ) . We measured 3-yr changes in cortical BMD ( CtBMD ) , cortical thickness ( CtThk ) , periosteal circumference ( PC ) , endosteal circumference ( EC ) , and strength-strain index ( SSI ) at 1/3 midshaft femur ( N=171 ) , and trabecular BMD ( TbBMD ) , PC , and SSI at 4 % distal tibia ( N=162 ) . We found no treatment effect on femur CtThk , PC , or EC , or tibia TbBMD or PC . The strongest predictors ( negative ) of tibia TbBMD and SSI and femur CtBMD were timepoint and bone resorption ; whole-body fat mass was protective of SSI . As time since last menstrual period ( TLMP ) increased ( p=0.012 ) , 120-mg/d dose was protective of CtBMD . The strongest predictors of femur SSI were timepoint , bone resorption , and TLMP ( protective ) . Isoflavone tablets were negative predictors of SSI , but 80-mg/d dose became protective as bone turnover increased ( p=0.011 ) . Soy isoflavone treatment for 3yr was modestly beneficial for midshaft femur vBMD as TLMP increased and for midshaft femur SSI as bone turnover increased
Conclusions : Isoflavone treatments exert a moderately beneficial effect against  estrogen-deficient bone loss in women .
The effect appears dependent on whether isoflavone treatments are in aglycone form ; we conclude that beneficial effects against bone loss may be enhanced for isoflavone aglycones
Background : Age-related estrogen deficiency leads to accelerated bone resorption .
There is evidence that , through selective estrogen receptor modulation , isoflavones may exert beneficial effects against  estrogen-deficient bone loss .
Isoflavone aglycones show higher bioavailability than their glycosidic counterparts and thus may have greater potency .
Objective : To summarize evidence , we executed a systematic review and meta- analysis examining isoflavone therapies and bone mineral density ( BMD ) loss in peri- and postmenopausal women .