Abstract

Few studies have conducted the bone health benefits of usual dietary isoflavone intake in Korean college-student women. To elucidate this benefitial effects and correlations between dietary isoflavone and nutrients intake and bone formation marker (ALPase, osteocalcin), questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, serum mineral (Ca, P, Mg) concentrations were analyzed. Fifty three subjects were used in this study. The average age, height, body weight, BMI, body fat content and triceps skinfold thickness were 21.43 year, 161.07 cm, 52.81 kg, 20.48 kg/m2, 20.72% and 17.59 mm respectively. Soy food intake frequencies were soybean > soybean curd > soypaste stew > soybean milk. The average calorie, protein and Ca intake were 1766.21 +/- 62.54 kcal, 66.45 +/- 2.00 g and 549.62 +/- 27.55 mg respectively. Serum ALPase activity and osteocalcin concentration were 115.74 +/- 3.6 u/L and 7.15 ng/ml respectively. Usual dietary isoflavone intake was positively related to calory, protein, Ca, P intake and serum Ca, Mg concentration. Serum osteocalcin concentration was negatively correlated with isoflavone intake (r2=0.28, p < 0.05). In these results, usual dietary isoflavone can support an additive effect to bone health and Ca nutrition.

• Keywords: isoflavone; calcium; osteocalcin