Have you ever heard of isoflavone? Well, isoflavone is part of a class of phytoestrogens, or plant-based compounds which resemble estrogen. According to Medical XPress, research from Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, from the University of Iowa suggests that an isoflavone-rich diet could protect against multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, Dr. Mangalam and his team highlighted how isoflavones were beneficial in mice models of MS. However, this diet only offered protection when certain gut microbes were present, as these microbes were able to effectively break down these compounds. Check out the full study findings published in Science Advances.
Isoflavone Diet
According to Very Well Health, an isoflavone is:
considered a type of nutritional supplement produced almost exclusively by the Fabaceae (Leguminosae or bean) family. [Isoflavones] are a specific group of molecules that comprise what is called a phytochemical (natural plant chemical) found in foods like legumes, and…are also considered anti-oxidant compounds.
If you were to eat an isoflavone-rich diet, you would most likely be eating foods such as:
- Soy [tofu, soybeans, soy milk, soy nut butter]
- Red clover
- Veggie burgers
- Meatless bacon bits
- Flaxseed
- Peanuts
- Lima beans and fava beans
The Study
In the past, research has shown that the gut microbiome plays an immense role in health. For this particular study, the research team sought to understand how dietary isoflavones and gut bacteria played a part in MS. In mice models who were fed the isoflavone diet, their gut microbiomes developed bacteria which could metabolize those compounds, aiding in health. Alternately, patients who eat a low-isoflavone diet were less likely to have bacteria metabolize the compound. This directly correlates to prior studies performed by Dr. Mangalam, which suggest that patients with MS cannot metabolize isoflavones.
However, mice models of MS who were given gut bacteria that could metabolize isoflavones saw a reduction of inflammation and protection against disease progression. If only given the isoflavone diet, but not the bacteria, the mice models were not protected. In particular, researchers determined that equol, a metabolite, helped metabolize isoflavone and confer protection against MS.
Ultimately, this suggests two things:
- For some people, it is important to eat an isoflavone-rich diet. Ultimately, this could help promote a healthy gut and thus protect against future health issues.
- Administering gut bacteria to patients with MS to allow them to metabolize isoflavone could be a potential therapeutic option moving forward.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
While multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease, has no known cause, many consider it to be an autoimmune disorder. In this case, the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, or the protective coating of nerve cells. As nerve cells become increasingly exposed, it prevents the body and brain from adequately communicating. MS can be progressive (no remission) or relapsing and remitting. Altogether, an estimated 2.3 million people across the globe have MS. It most commonly occurs in those between ages 15 and 60. Additionally, females are 2x more likely to have MS than males. Symptoms include:
- Tremors
- Lack of balance and coordination
- Unsteady gait
- Electric-shock impulses
- Muscle weakness or spasticity
- Loss of bladder control
- Bowel incontinence
- Sexual dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Eye pain
- Hearing loss
- Difficulty swallowing
- Blurred or double vision
However, this is not an exhaustive list of symptoms. MS often appears differently in each person affected.
