About 4 out of every 10 Japanese women between 30 and 69 can turn a soy nutrient into a special compound in their gut called equol — and this might affect how much they benefit from eating soy.

62

Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

62

Community contributions welcome

62

Levels of urinary isoflavones and lignan polyphenols in Japanese women

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2013 Sep

The study found that 39% of Japanese women tested could turn a soy compound into a substance called equol, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Levels of urinary isoflavones and lignan polyphenols in Japanese women

Score: 62

DOI: 10.1007/s12199-013-0338-6

Similar Assertions

Japanese women whose gut bacteria can turn soy into a substance called equol also tend to have much higher levels of certain healthy compounds from sesame in their urine—suggesting their gut bugs might be linking how they process soy and sesame.

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82%

In some Japanese women who can make a compound called equol, the more daidzein their bodies process, the more equol they tend to produce — probably because of the right gut bacteria.

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78%

People who live in Sendai, Japan are more than twice as likely to have gut bacteria that turn soy into a helpful compound called equol, compared to people elsewhere — probably because of local lifestyle or environmental habits.

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70%