Soy supplements may protect men from bone loss

April 10, 2001 in Nutrition Topics in the News, Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements

Soy supplements may protect men from bone loss

Soy, already reported to protect women from bone loss, may be protective in men as well, according to a new report.

Scientists from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater randomly assigned 64 healthy men to take either soy- or milk-based protein supplements for three months. The researchers compared the before and after supplement levels of IGF-I, an insulin like-growth factor found in blood that is associated with increased rates of bone formation.

IGF-I levels increased tremendously: 20% in men using the milk-based supplement and nearly 100% in those using soy protein. In the older men on soy protein, blood levels of IGF-I levels more than doubled. The soy-based protein also depressed an indicator of bone loss.

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