Soy Isoflavone May Be Safe, Effective Alternative to Estrogen Replacement NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Daily soy isoflavone use significantly reduces menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women and may also help prevent cardiovascular disease, according to a report published in the March issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Furthermore, because isoflavones have estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects depending on the target tissue, their use may not predispose to endometrial cancer as estrogen replacement therapy does. Dr. Edmund C. Baracat and colleagues, from the Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, randomized 80 postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms to receive placebo or 100 mg of soy isoflavone daily for 4 months. Isoflavone-treated women experienced a significant improvement (p < 0.01) in menopausal symptoms relative to baseline scores and to improvements in the placebo group, the investigators state. Treatment with isoflavone was linked to a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL levels compared with baseline (p < 0.001) and the placebo group (p < 0.01), but appeared to have no effect on blood pressure, plasma glucose, HDL levels, and triglyceride levels. Transvaginal sonography revealed that isoflavone therapy was not associated with an increase in endometrial thickness. The current findings indicate that an "isoflavone treatment regimen may be a safe and effective alternative therapy for postmenopausal symptoms," the authors note. "Another benefit is a decrease in LDL levels, which suggests a positive effect on the cardiovascular system." Obstet Gynecol 2002;99:389-394. Cancer, 3/02 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.