Genistein appears to prevent early postmenopausal bone loss as effectively as hormone replacement therapy

Recent data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, yearlong clinical trial suggest that supplementation with the dietary phytoestrogen genistein (54 mg/day) may be as effective as hormone replacement therapy in attenuating menopause-related bone loss without causing the associated side effects. These findings may have implications for the development of diet-based strategies aimed at osteoporosis prevention.