Potential Effects of Soy Isoflavones on the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Isoflavones are polyphenols primarily contained in soybean. As phytoestrogens, isoflavones exert beneficial effects on various chronic diseases. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of death due to arteriosclerosis in individuals with various pathological conditions, including obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Although the health benefits of soybean-derived isoflavones are widely known, their beneficial effects on the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome are incompletely understood. This review aims to describe the association between soybean-derived isoflavone intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome development. We reviewed studies on soy isoflavones, particularly daidzein and genistein, and metabolic syndrome, using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. We describe the pathological characteristics of metabolic syndrome, including those contributing to multiple pathological conditions. Furthermore, we summarize the effects of soybean-derived daidzein and genistein on metabolic syndrome reported in human epidemiological studies and experiments using in vitro and in vivo models. In particular, we emphasize the role of soy isoflavones in metabolic syndrome-induced cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, this review focuses on the potential of soy isoflavones to prevent metabolic syndrome by influencing the onset of hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and arteriosclerosis and discusses the anti-inflammatory effects of isoflavones.

Anti-Cancer Effects of Dietary Polyphenols via ROS-Mediated Pathway with Their Modulation of MicroRNAs

“…Epidemiologic studies have also shown that a soy-rich diet reduces the risk of various diseases, including cancer, and one of the main contributors is thought to be genistein (GEN), a phenolic compound [9][10][11] (Figure 1). Wang et al [12] discovered a lower risk of papillary macrocarcinomas in women who consumed 1860-3110 μg/day of GEN (OR = 0.26, CI = 0.08-0.85) compared to women who consumed <760 μg/day in a population-based case-control study in Connecticut from 2010 to 2011.…”

Association between equol production and metabolic syndrome in Japanese women in their 50s-60s

“…Soy isoflavone has the potential to prevent METS. 20 Equol in addition to other soy isoflavones such as daidzein and genistein, which have structures similar to that of estrogen, have estrogenlike activity. Therefore, soy isoflavones are often considered phytoestrogens.…”

Appraising diet–disease associations to be used in risk assessment, including an insight in nutritional epidemiology

“…Briefly, pulses are generally a rich source of antinutrients, including lectins, enzyme inhibitors, phytates, oxalates, phytoestrogens, saponins, alkaloids and oligosaccharides, and their content in these factors may widely vary between different subtypes, as well as between different species within the same subtype (Alcázar‐Valle et al, 2020 ; Mayer Labba et al, 2021 ). The evidence on the potential health effects of antinutrients in pulses is mixed, with some studies showing they may condition the adequate absorption of nutrients and have other negative health effects (Fredlund et al, 2006 ; Petroski and Minich, 2020 ), while others demonstrate their potential in disease prevention, in particular for phytoestrogens, lectins and phytates (Gautam et al, 2020 ; Yamagata and Yamori, 2021 ; Silva and Bracarense, 2016 ). However, the concentration of these compounds in pulses is significantly reduced through traditional processing such as soaking, sprouting, fermenting, boiling and autoclaving (Luo and Xie, 2013 ; Bento et al, 2021 ), and there is yet not sufficient evidence showing their potential effects on human health (Petroski and Minich, 2020 ).…”