January 5/West Lafayette, Ind./China Weekly News -- A new study, "Soy Components vs. Whole Soy: Are We Betting Our Bones on a Long Shot," is now available. According to recent research from the U.S., "Soybeans are a good source of bone-healthy nutrients. Epidemiological studies in Asia evaluating diets containing traditional whole soy foods show a positive association with bone mineral density and fracture protection."

"Smaller-scale intervention studies in Western nations mainly feature isolated soy protein (SP) and purified or concentrated soy isoflavones (SI) rather than whole soy foods and they have produced inconsistent results. Consumption of SP does not alter calcium (Ca) retention even though urinary Ca excretion is less in diets with SP compared with proteins higher in sulfur-containing amino acids. SI, often consumed at higher concentrations than would be available in traditional Asian diets, are not yielding the type of incontrovertible evidence that might be expected in support of their benefit to bone health," wrote S. Reinwald and colleagues, Purdue University.

The researchers concluded, "This forces one to ask whether whole soy might provide a superior effect on bone."

Reinwald and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Nutrition ("Soy Components vs. Whole Soy: Are We Betting Our Bones on a Long Shot," Journal of Nutrition, 2010;140(12):2312S-2317S).

For additional information, contact S. Reinwald, Purdue University, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, West Lafayette, Ind. 47907-2059A.

From the January 7, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News
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