Metabolic effects of soy supplementation in postmenopausal Caucasian and African American women: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the effect of daily soy supplementation on abdominal fat, glucose metabolism, and circulating inflammatory markers and adipokines in obese, postmenopausal Caucasian and African American women.


METHODS
In a double-blinded controlled trial, 39 postmenopausal women were randomized to soy supplementation or to a casein placebo without isoflavones. In all, 33 completed the study and were analyzed. At baseline and at 3 months, glucose disposal and insulin secretion were measured using hyperglycemic clamps, body composition and body fat distribution were measured by computed tomographic scan and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and serum levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, leptin, and adiponectin were measured by immunoassay.


RESULTS
Soy supplementation reduced total and subcutaneous abdominal fat and interleukin-6. No difference between groups was noted for glucose metabolism, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, leptin, or adiponectin.


CONCLUSIONS
Soy supplementation reduced abdominal fat in obese postmenopausal women. Caucasians primarily lost subcutaneous and total abdominal fat, and African Americans primarily lost total body fat.
Christie
Daniel R
DR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the University of Alabama School of Medicine at Birmingham, AL, USA.
Grant
Jan
J
Darnell
Betty E
BE
Chapman
Victoria R
VR
Gastaldelli
Amalia
A
Sites
Cynthia K
CK
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D054392:Adipokines / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000208:ethnology; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D044465:White People
D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein