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 .
Higher bioavailability of isoflavones after a single ingestion of aglycone-rich fermented soybeans compared with glucoside-rich non-fermented soybeans in Japanese postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND There have been conflicting study results concerning how the food matrix affects the bioavailability of isoflavone aglycone and glucoside . In this study the bioavailability of isoflavones  after a single ingestion of aglycone-rich fermented soybeans ( Fsoy ) and glucoside-rich non-fermented soybeans ( Soy ) was compared . Eleven healthy postmenopausal Japanese women were recruited for a r and omised , double-blind , crossover trial and consumed Fsoy or Soy powder dissolved in hot water . Blood sample s were collected 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 12 and 24 h and urine sample s from 0 to 48 h after ingestion of the powders . The Fsoy and Soy powders ingested had the same total isoflavone content ( 95 µmol ) , but the former was rich in aglycone ( 90.6 µmol ) while the latter was rich in glucoside ( 81.9 µmol ) . RESULTS Serum concentrations of total isoflavones after 1 - 4 h were significantly higher in the Fsoy group than in the Soy group . The Fsoy group showed significantly higher maximum concentration ( Cmax : 2.79 ± 0.13 vs 1.74 ± 0.13 µmol L(-1 ) ) and area under the curve ( AUC(0 - 24 h ) : 23.78 ± 2.41 vs 19.95 ± 2.03 µmol day L(-1 ) ) and lower maximum concentration time ( Tmax : 1.00 ± 0.00 vs 5.00 ± 0.67 h ) compared with the Soy group . The cumulative urinary excretion of total isoflavones after 2 h was significantly higher in the Fsoy group than in the Soy group . Individual isoflavones ( daidzein , genistein and glycitein ) showed similar trends to total isoflavones . Equol ( a metabolite from daidzein ) did not differ between the two groups . CONCLUSION The results of this study demonstrated that the isoflavones of aglycone-rich Fsoy were absorbed faster and in greater amounts than those of glucoside-rich Soy in postmenopausal Japanese women
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 .