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Listen to this siteWednesday 22 October 2003
This research project aims to determine whether bone loss in post-menopausal women can be reduced by supplementing the diet with phytoestrogens.
Study Duration : February 1997 to January 2000
Contractor : Rowett Research Institute
In women, oestrogen is needed to maintain good bone health, and the reduction in oestrogen which occurs after the menopause can lead to osteoporosis. This project aims to determine whether bone loss in post-menopausal women can be reduced by supplementing the diet with phytoestrogens.
The effects of dietary supplementation with phytoestrogens on bone density and biological markers of bone formation/resorption in groups of pre-, peri- and post-menopausal women (200 women in total) will be investigated. Each woman will receive either a phytoestrogen supplement or placebo treatment daily for one year. In addition, the effects of phytoestrogens on bone cells will be investigated.
Dietary supplementation with 40 mg of phytoestrogens (i.e. genistein, daidzein, biochanin A and formononetin) in tablet form daily for one year was found to slightly reduce urinary levels of markers of bone resorption in pre- and peri-menopausal women, but not in post-menopausal women. Phytoestrogen supplementation did not affect bone formation in any of the groups.
Genistein inhibited cell growth, induced cell death and interfered with cellular interactions in cultured human bone-forming cells. Genistein also impaired the function of cultured pig cells involved in bone resorption. However, these effects only occurred at very high genistein concentrations (i.e. 10 µM), well above those that might occur in the body following dietary exposure to phytoestrogens.
Overall, the results of this project suggest that phytoestrogens may have a weak beneficial influence on bone loss although the significance of this effect, particularly for post-menopausal women, remains to be established.
The results of this project were evaluated by the Committee on Toxicity (COT) as part of its review on phytoestrogens and health .
Final report is available from the FSA Library and Information centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Dr Elsie Widdowson Library and Information Services, Food Standards Agency tel: 020 7276 8181/8182 or email:
library&info@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
).
Publications
Hunter, I. et al (2001). Caspase-dependent cleavage of cadherins and catenins during osteoblast apoptosis. J Bone Miner Res 16 , 466-77.
Presentations
Atkinson, A. et al (2000). The effects of isoflavone phytoestrogens in bone; preliminary results from a large randomised controlled trial. Preceedings of ENDO, 82nd Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, Toronto.
Contact
: For any enquiries concerning this research project, please contact the relevant Programme contact or email:
science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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