The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Soy effects on bone mineral density

    Supplementation is unlikely to have significant favorable [effect] on bone mineral density (BMD), according to this review by researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China.

    Is this the final word?

    First, the details.

    • A literature search resulted in 10 studies of 896 women that were worth reviewing.
    • The data were combined and a meta-analysis conducted.

    And, the results.

    • An average dose of 87 mg soy isoflavones taken for at least 1 year did not significantly affect BMD.
    • After 2 years, the average change in lumbar spine BMD was 0.4%, -0.3% at the femoral neck, and 0.2% for total hip — none of this was significant.
    • The source of the isoflavone (soy protein vs isoflavone extract) and ethnic differences (Asian vs Western) had no effect on the outcomes.
    • The dose of isoflavone taken had no significant effect either.

    The bottom line?
    Interesting.

    But other reviewers have come to a different conclusion.

    1/27/09 19:37 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.