Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10049, Taiwan.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National YangMing ChiaoTung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 22;22(6):3212. doi: 10.3390/ijms22063212.
Based on their nutrient composition, soybeans and related foods have been considered to be nutritious and healthy for humans. Particularly, the biological activity and subsequent benefits of soy products may be associated with the presence of isoflavone in soybeans. As an alternative treatment for menopause-related symptoms, isoflavone has gained much popularity for postmenopausal women who have concerns related to undergoing hormone replacement therapy. However, current research has still not reached a consensus on the effects of isoflavone on humans. This overview is a summary of the current literature about the processing of soybeans and isoflavone types (daidzein, genistein, and S-equol) and supplements and their extraction and analysis as well as information about the utilization of isoflavones in soybeans. The processes of preparation (cleaning, drying, crushing and dehulling) and extraction of soybeans are implemented to produce refined soy oil, soy lecithin, free fatty acids, glycerol and soybean meal. The remaining components consist of inorganic constituents (minerals) and the minor components of biologically interesting small molecules. Regarding the preventive effects on diseases or cancers, a higher intake of isoflavones is associated with a moderately lower risk of developing coronary heart disease. It may also reduce the risks of breast and colorectal cancer as well as the incidence of breast cancer recurrence. Consumption of isoflavones or soy foods is associated with reduced risks of endometrial and bladder cancer. Regarding the therapeutic effects on menopausal syndrome or other diseases, isoflavones have been found to alleviate vasomotor syndromes even after considering placebo effects, reduce bone loss in the spine and ameliorate hypertension and in vitro glycemic control. They may also alleviate depressive symptoms during pregnancy. On the other hand, isoflavones have not shown definitive effects regarding improving cognition and urogenital symptoms. Because of lacking standardization in the study designs, such as the ingredients and doses of isoflavones and the durations and outcomes of trials, it currently remains difficult to draw overall conclusions for all aspects of isoflavones. These limitations warrant further investigations of isoflavone use for women's health.
基于其营养成分，大豆和相关食品被认为对人类有营养和健康益处。特别是，大豆异黄酮的存在可能与大豆制品的生物活性及其后续益处有关。大豆异黄酮作为治疗绝经相关症状的替代方法，因其对有激素替代疗法相关担忧的绝经后妇女有益，而备受关注。然而，目前的研究尚未就大豆异黄酮对人类的影响达成共识。这篇综述概述了目前关于大豆加工和大豆异黄酮类型（大豆苷、染料木黄酮和 S-雌马酚）以及补充剂及其提取和分析的文献，以及关于大豆异黄酮在大豆中的利用的信息。大豆的制备（清洗、干燥、粉碎和脱壳）和提取过程用于生产精炼大豆油、大豆卵磷脂、游离脂肪酸、甘油和豆粕。其余成分由无机成分（矿物质）和具有生物学意义的小分子的少量成分组成。关于对疾病或癌症的预防作用，较高的大豆异黄酮摄入量与冠心病发病风险适度降低相关。它还可能降低乳腺癌和结直肠癌的风险，以及乳腺癌复发的发生率。大豆异黄酮或大豆制品的摄入与子宫内膜癌和膀胱癌风险降低相关。关于对绝经综合征或其他疾病的治疗作用，即使考虑到安慰剂效应，大豆异黄酮也被发现可缓解血管舒缩综合征、减少脊柱骨丢失、改善高血压和体外血糖控制。它还可能缓解妊娠期间的抑郁症状。另一方面，大豆异黄酮在改善认知和泌尿生殖系统症状方面尚未显示出明确的效果。由于研究设计缺乏标准化，例如大豆异黄酮的成分和剂量、试验的持续时间和结果，目前仍然难以对大豆异黄酮的所有方面得出全面的结论。这些局限性需要进一步研究大豆异黄酮在女性健康方面的应用。
