Antiosteoporotic effect of orally administered yolk-derived peptides on bone mass in women.

The main objective of this study was to verify the effect of oral intake of a yolk-derived peptide preparation (HYP) obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of yolk water-soluble protein on bone markers and bone density in 65 perimenopausal women with an average age of 47.6 ± 5.2 years. Subjects were divided into three groups, and then enrolled in a 6-month, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Bone formation and resorption markers were measured at 0, 3, and 6 months, while bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spines was measured at 0 and 6 months. Although the bone formation marker levels showed the similarity changes among the groups, bone resorption markers in the test HYP group were significantly decreased after 3 and 6 months in comparison to other groups (P < 0.05). After 6 months, BMD in the test HYP group maintained at healthy numerical values whereas BMD values were decreased in other groups. Hence HYP would be an antiosteoporotic agent originated from natural food to maintain bone health, especially for women.