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- Title
Effects of isoflavones on the climacteric period in women.
- Authors
Salehian, Tahmineh; Dehcheshmeh, Faranak Safdari
- Abstract
Objectives: Vasomotor symptoms start about two years prior to menopause in women and include emotional disturbance and anxiety, physical changes (e.g., vaginal dryness), urinary incontinence and skin wrinkles. Other complications such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia could also occur during this period. Hormone therapy is primarily considered for the relief of menopause symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, since hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of thrombosis, cerebral infarction and breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine have drawn the attention of several researchers. Phytoestrogens are secondary metabolites in plants and are characterized by polyphenolic structures with phenol rings. Phytoestrogens have similar structures to 17-beta estradiol, which is produced by the ovaries and binds to estrogen receptors. Flavones are mainly divided into two groups of flavonoids (e.g., isoflavones) and non-flavonoids (e.g., lignan). Isoflavones are abundant in soy and red clover. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of isoflavones on the symptoms associated with the climacteric period in women. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was performed via searching the published literature on the effects of isoflavones in the climacteric period. Results: In a systematic review of 15 clinical trials evaluating the effects of isoflavones on bone mineral density (BMD), isoflavones were reported to reduce bone loss. In addition, isoflavones had significant effects on mild-tomoderate hot flashes in women during early menopause. Conversion of daidzein to equol is a critical factor that exerts favorable effects on hot flashes. About 30-50% of Western women have the ability to convert daidzein to equol, and a daily dose of 80 mg or higher is recommended for Asian diets. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 9 randomized comparative studies indicated that isoflavones could be effective in reducing bone loss. With respect to cardiovascular diseases, there has been growing interest in the benefits of soy protein since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claimed that consumption of soy remarkably reduces the risk of cardiac diseases. Rudkowska performed a meta-analysis of 74 randomized comparative studies and observed that soy protein was effective in the reduction of diastolic blood pressure and serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. However, no changes were observed in the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In addition, foods containing soy protein were found to have no influence on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Since no studies have investigated the effects of isoflavones on the morbidity and mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases, these compounds are not recommended as the primary treatment for prevention purposes. Conclusion: Conflicting results of studies on the benefits of phytoestrogens are attributable to the variable amount of isoflavones in soybeans depending on different regions and seasons, as well as the intestinal bacteria involved in the conversion of daidzein to equol, which is variable depending on the race. Meanwhile, Asians are anticipated to have a relatively low risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, menopause symptoms, breast cancer, diabetes and obesity due to the considerable consumption of soy compared to Western populations.
- Publication
Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, 2015, Vol 5, p133
- ISSN
2228-7930
- Publication type
Academic Journal