Effects of Dietary and Supplemental Forms of

Because of the health concerns associated with hormone replacement therapy, many women are seeking alternative therapies. Compounds such as soy isoflavones appear to reduce the risk of some age-related diseases and to lessen the severity of menopausal symptoms. However, concerns regarding harmful effects of soy isoflavones on thyroid function have been reported. This 16-week, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the effects of soy isoflavones on thyroid-stimulating hormone in healthy postmenopausal women. The results of this study suggest that isoflavones obtained from either soymilk or supplements have no effect on thyroid-stimulating hormone in well-nourished postmenopausal women. Key words: menopause, soy isoflavones, thyroid function MENOPAUSE, defined as the cessation ofmenstruation resulting from the loss of ovarian follicular activity, is associated with in-creased risk of several age-related diseases, in-cluding coronary heart disease and osteoporo