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 .
Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial.
UNLABELLED Epimedium brevicornum maxim , a nonleguminous medicinal plant , has been found to be rich in phytoestrogen flavonoids . Results from a 24-month r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids were able to exert beneficial effects on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women , without result ing in a detectable hyperplasia effect on the endometrium . INTRODUCTION We performed a 24-mo r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial for evaluating the effect of the Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids ( EPFs ) on BMD , bone turnover biochemical markers , serum estradiol , and endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women . MATERIAL S AND METHODS One hundred healthy late postmenopausal women , with a natural menopausal history within 10 approximately 18 yr and with a BMD T-score at the lumbar spine between -2 and -2.5 SD , were r and omized into EPF treatment group ( n = 50 ; a daily dose of 60 mg Icariin , 15 mg Daidzein , and 3 mg Genistein ) or placebo control group ( n = 50 ) . All participants received 300 mg element calcium daily . BMD , bone turnover biochemical markers , serum estradiol , and endometrial thickness were measured at baseline and 12 and 24 mo after intervention . RESULTS Eighty-five participants completed the trial . The patterns of BMD changes were significantly different between the EPF treatment group and placebo control group by repeated- measures ANOVA ( p = 0.045 for interaction between time and group at femoral neck ; p = 0.006 for interaction between time and group at lumbar spine ) . BMD was found with a decreased tendency in the placebo control group at 12 ( femoral neck : -1.4 % , p = 0.104 ; lumbar spine : -1.7 % , p = 0.019 ) and 24 mo ( femoral neck : -1.8 % , p = 0.048 ; lumbar spine : -2.4 % , p = 0.002 ) , whereas EPF treatment maintained BMD at 12 ( femoral neck : 1.1 % , p = 0.285 ; lumbar spine:1.0 % , p = 0.158 ) and 24 mo ( femoral neck : 1.6 % , p = 0.148 ; lumbar spine : 1.3 % , p = 0.091 ) . The difference in lumbar spine between the two groups was significant at both 12 ( p = 0.044 ) and 24 mo ( p = 0.006 ) , whereas the difference in the femoral neck was marginal at 12 mo ( p = 0.061 ) and significant at 24 mo ( p = 0.008 ) . Levels of bone biochemical markers did not change in the placebo control group . In contrast , EPF intervention significantly decreased levels of deoxypyrdinoline at 12 ( -43 % , p = 0.000 ) and 24 mo ( -39 % , p = 0.000 ) , except for osteocalcin at 12 ( 5.6 % , p = 0.530 ) and 24 mo ( 10.7 % , p = 0.267 ) . A significant difference in deoxypyrdinoline between the two groups was found at both 12 ( p = 0.000 ) and 24 mo ( p = 0.001 ) . Furthermore , neither serum estradiol nor endometrial thickness was found to be changed in either groups during the clinical trial . CONCLUSIONS EPFs exert a beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women without result ing in a detectable hyperplasia effect on the endometrium
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 .