Soy food reduces bone fractures in older women

Eating soy products protects the bones of older women, particularly those in Early Menopause, new research shows.

While other studies have suggested that the plant estrogens found in soy help sustain bone mineral density, there have been no large studies assessing the association between soy consumption and the risk of fracture, Dr. Xiao-Ou Shu and colleagues note in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The research team therefore analyzed data from the Shanghai Women's Health Study, conducted in a population that has a wide range of soy food consumption.

The analysis included postmenopausal women with no history of fracture or hormone therapy use who completed a food frequency questionnaire, then were questioned approximately 4.5 years later regarding the occurrence of fractures.

The roughly 24,000 women reported a total of 1770 fractures. Higher soy protein consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of fracture, even after accounting for age, calorie intake, socioeconomic status, other nutrients, and Osteoporosis risk factors, report Shu, from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, and associates.

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder. The bones become thinner, lose their strength and are more likely to break. People with osteoporosis have a higher risk of fractures. Their bones can fracture even during everyday movements, such as bending or coughing. Osteoporosis is not a form of arthritis, although it can cause fractures that lead to arthritis.

In the United States, osteoporosis causes more than 1.3 million fractures each year. It is much more common in women than in men because of the hormonal changes that occur during menopause.
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The protective effect was most evident among women who were within ten years of Menopause. For this subgroup, the risk of fracture was reduced by 48 percent among those with the highest intake of soy protein intake compared to those in the lowest consumption.

For women who had been menopausal for more than ten years, the risk reduction was 29 percent.

A bone mineral density (BMD) test can help your health care provider confirm a diagnosis of osteoporosis. The test can help in several ways:

• BMD testing is one of the most accurate ways to assess your bone health.
  
• When repeated over time, it can be used to monitor your rate of bone loss.
  
• It can detect osteoporosis at its earliest stage, so treatment can begin sooner.