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Human Reproduction Update Advance Access originally published online on March 19, 2009
Human Reproduction Update 2009 15(4):423-440; doi:10.1093/humupd/dmp010
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
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Effects of soy protein and isoflavones on circulating hormone concentrations in pre- and post-menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

L. Hooper1,7, J.J. Ryder1, M.S. Kurzer2,3, J.W. Lampe4, M.J. Messina5, W.R. Phipps6 and A. Cassidy1

1 School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK 2 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108-1038, USA 3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108-1038, USA 4 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA 5 School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA 6 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA

7 Correspondence address. Tel: +44-1603-591268; Fax: +44-1603-593752; E-mail: l.hooper{at}uea.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: Hormonal effects of soy and isoflavones have been investigated in numerous trials with equivocal findings. We aimed to systematically assess the effects of soy and isoflavones on circulating estrogen and other hormones in pre- and post-menopausal women.

METHODS: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE (plus reviews and experts) were searched to December 2007. Inclusion of randomized or residential crossover trials of soy or isoflavones for 4 or more weeks on estrogens, SHBG, FSH, LH, progesterone and thyroid hormones in women was assessed independently in duplicate. Six percent of papers assessed were included. Data concerning participants, interventions, outcomes, potential effect modifiers and trial quality characteristics were extracted independently in duplicate.

RESULTS: Forty-seven studies (11 of pre-, 35 of post- and 1 of perimenopausal women) were included. In premenopausal women, meta-analysis suggested that soy or isoflavone consumption did not affect primary outcomes estradiol, estrone or SHBG concentrations, but significantly reduced secondary outcomes FSH and LH [by ~20% using standardized mean difference (SMD), P = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively]. Menstrual cycle length was increased by 1.05 days (95% CI 0.13, 1.97, 10 studies). In post-menopausal women, there were no statistically significant effects on estradiol, estrone, SHBG, FSH or LH, although there was a small statistically non-significant increase in total estradiol with soy or isoflavones (~14%, SMD, P = 0.07, 21 studies).

CONCLUSIONS: Isoflavone-rich soy products decrease FSH and LH in premenopausal women and may increase estradiol in post-menopausal women. The clinical implications of these modest hormonal changes remain to be determined.

Key words: soy foods / isoflavones / estradiol / sex hormone-binding globulin / gonadotrophins

Received on July 28, 2008; revised December 23, 2008; accepted on February 18, 2009


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This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum Reprod UpdateHome page
J. Huber, M. Imhof, and M. Schmidt
Effects of soy protein and isoflavones on circulating hormone concentrations in pre- and post-menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hum. Reprod. Update, October 8, 2009; (2009) dmp040v1.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum Reprod UpdateHome page
L. Hooper, J. Ryder, M. Kurzer, J. Lampe, W. Phipps, and A. Cassidy
Reply: Effects of soy protein and isoflavones on circulating hormone concentrations in pre- and post-menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hum. Reprod. Update, October 8, 2009; (2009) dmp042v1.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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