fructooligosaccharide and Osteoporosis--Postmenopausal

Recent literature suggests that Ca supplements have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. The effects of a Ca-rich supplement administered alone or in combination with short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) on serum lipids in postmenopausal women were examined using secondary data from a 24-month double-blind randomised controlled study. A total of 300 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to daily supplements of 800 mg of Ca (2·4 g Aquamin) (Ca), 800 mg of Ca with 3 g of scFOS (CaFOS) or control (maltodextrin) (MD). A full lipid profile, body composition, blood pressure and a range of cytokines were measured at baseline and after 24 months. Intention-to-treat ANCOVA assessed treatment effects between the groups. A significant time-by-treatment effect was observed for LDL and total cholesterol for the Ca and CaFOS groups, with both groups having lower LDL and total cholesterol concentrations compared with MD after 24 months. The control group had mean (5·2 mmol/l) total cholesterol concentrations above the normal range (≤ 5 mmol/l) at 24 months, whereas values remained within the normal range in the treatment groups. There was no significant treatment effect on HDL-cholesterol, TAG, body composition, blood pressure or cytokine concentrations at 24 months, with the exception of IL-4, where there was a significant increase in the CaFOS group compared with the placebo. This study demonstrates a lipid-lowering effect of both the Ca-rich supplement alone and the supplement with scFOS. At the 4-year follow-up, there was no significant difference between the groups for reported diagnosed cardiovascular conditions.

Topics: Aged; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Calcium, Dietary; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, LDL; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypolipidemic Agents; Intention to Treat Analysis; Middle Aged; Minerals; Molecular Weight; Northern Ireland; Oligosaccharides; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Patient Dropouts; Rhodophyta; Risk Factors

Recent studies suggest that some of the clinical effectiveness of soy or daidzein, which is a type of isoflavone, may be attributed to a person's ability to produce equol from daidzein. Equol, which is a metabolite of one of the major soybean isoflavones called daidzein, is produced in the gastrointestinal tract by certain intestinal microbiota where present. Habitual dietary patterns may alter the intestinal bacterial profile, and influence the metabolism of isoflavones and the production of equol. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) have a prebiotic activity as well as being a dietary fibre. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether FOS supplementation increases equol production in equol producers and stimulates equol production in equol non-producers in Japanese postmenopausal women.. A soy challenge was used to assess equol-producer status prior to the start of the study in healthy postmenopausal Japanese women. The study involved 4 separate groups in randomised crossover design. First, subjects were classified as equol producers (n = 25) or non-producers (n = 18), and then they were randomly assigned to the FOS or control group. All subjects received a daily dose of 37 mg isoflavone conjugates in the capsule (21 mg aglycone form) and either FOS (5 g/day) or sucrose as control, in a randomised crossover study design. Equol -production was assessed by testing the serum and urine before and after the 2-week supplementation period.. The analyses were conducted on 34 subjects completed the study, 21 (61.8%) were classified as equol producers, and 13 (38.2%) as non-producers. Significant differences were observed in the interaction effect of time × equol state after 1 week of intervention (p = 0.006). However there were no effects after 2 weeks of intervention (p = 0.516). Finally, in both equol producers and non-producers, FOS supplementation did not affect the serum equol concentration or the urinary equol to daidzein concentration ratios.. We have reported that FOS intervention (5 g/day for 2 weeks) does not significantly modulate the capacity of intestinal microbiota to produce equol in postmenopausal Japanese women, in either equol producers or non-producers in this pilot study. Further larger investigations that explore the roles of specific intestinal microbiota in equol production will enable the establishment of dietary conditions that are required to enhance equol production.

Topics: beta-Glucans; Biomarkers; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary Supplements; Equol; Female; Glycine max; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestines; Isoflavones; Japan; Middle Aged; Oligosaccharides; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Pilot Projects; Postmenopause; Prebiotics; Seeds

In preclinical studies, fructooligosaccharide (FOS) showed beneficial skeletal effects but its effect on peak bone mass (PBM) and bone loss caused by estrogen (E2) deficiency has not been studied, and we set out to study these effects in rats. Short-chain (sc)-FOS had no effect on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism of ovary intact (sham) and ovariectomized (OVX) rats. scFOS did not affect serum and urinary calcium and phosphorus levels, and on calcium absorption, although an increasing trend was noted in the sham group. Sham and OVX rats given scFOS had better skeletal parameters than their respective controls. scFOS treatment resulted in a higher bone anabolic response but had no effect on the catabolic parameters. scFOS increased serum levels of a short-chain fatty acid, butyrate which is known to have osteogenic effect. Our study for the first time demonstrates that in rats scFOS at the human equivalent dose enhances PBM and protects against E2 deficiency-induced bone loss by selective enhancement of new bone formation, and implicates butyrate in this process.

Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Bone and Bones; Bone Remodeling; Butyrates; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Oligosaccharides; Osteogenesis; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Ovariectomy; Prebiotics; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Isoflavones (IF) have been increasingly implicated for use in the prevention of osteoporosis. As their bioavailability could be improved by modulating intestinal microflora, the present study was undertaken to investigate whether IF and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are known to modify large-bowel flora and metabolism, may exhibit a cooperative bone-sparing effect. This work was carried out on 3-month-old Wistar rats assigned to 12 groups: 2 SH (sham-operated) and 10 OVX (ovariectomized). Animals received a diet for 90 days containing total IF (Prevastei HC, Central Soya) at 0 (OVX and SH), 10 (IF10), 20 (IF20), 40 (IF40), or 80 (IF80) microg/g body weight per day. FOS (Actilight, Beghin-Meiji) were orally given to half of the groups, (OVX FOS), (IF10 FOS), (IF20 FOS), (IF40 FOS), (IF80 FOS), and (SH FOS). Isoflavones exhibited a bone-sparing effect as soon as consumption reached 20 microg/g/day, whereas only the highest dose induced a weak uterotrophic activity. Indeed, total femoral bone mineral density (BMD) was significantly enhanced (compared with that of OVX rats), as was the metaphyseal compartment. Bone strength was improved as well. As far as the FOS diet is concerned, addition of prebiotics significantly raised the efficiency of the IF protective effect on both femoral BMD and mechanical properties. The trend toward higher BMD levels with the lowest IF dose (IF10) even reached a significant level when FOS were added. This effect could be explained by a reduced bone resorption. In conclusion, daily IF consumption prevented castration-induced osteopenia by decreasing bone resorption when given at 20, 40, or 80 microg (total isoflavones)/g/day. Simultaneous FOS consumption improved IF protective effect on the skeleton, with the lowest IF dose becoming efficient. Enhancement of IF bioavailability, following FOS fermentation, is probably involved.

Topics: Animals; Bone and Bones; Bone Density; Bone Development; Bone Resorption; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Female; Femur; Food, Formulated; Humans; Isoflavones; Oligosaccharides; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Ovariectomy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Soy Foods; Treatment Outcome