Assessing the intake of phytoestrogens isoflavones

Lorenzetti and F. Branca, National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, Italy 

This section looks first at the various sources of phytoestrogens in the diet, including  

It then addresses the ways in which phytoestrogen intake from these sources is measured and some of the problems associated with such measurement. 

In order to produce soy protein, soybeans are first dehulled, flaked, and defatted to make white flakes . Soy protein concentrates are obtained by removing a portion of the carbohydrates from defatted and dehulled soybeans. Alcohol extraction is the method most commonly used to manufacture soy protein concentrates even though it results in the loss of isoflavones. Soy protein concentrates retain most of the fiber in the original soybean and must contain at least 65% protein on a moisture-free basis to meet quality standards. The most concentrated source of soy protein is soy protein isolates (or isolated soy protein, ISP), which is required to be at least 90% protein on a moisture-free basis. It is heat-treated during processing to insure inactivation of trypsin inhibitors. Most isolated soy protein is manufactured by water extraction from defatted and dehulled soybeans and it retains the natural isoflavones. 

Since 1999, when the Food and Drug Administration allowed the first health claim for soy-fortified foods in the USA, there has been a large increase in the sales of food products claiming to contain soy isoflavones. At the same time, over-the-counter supplements have become widely available. However, concerns have been raised about the real health benefits of such supplements in the absence of adequate information about bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and safety. To fill this gap, an extensive study on pure isoflavones and commercial soy isoflavone supplements has recently been carried out (Setchell et al, 2001). A selection of 31 commercially available supplements showed a wide variation in isoflavone composition and in the amount provided by one tablet. Furthermore, a lower isoflavone content, with respect to the claimed levels, has been observed in almost 50% of the analysed products. In one case, no isoflavones at all could be detected (Setchell et al, 2001). 

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