Can soy intake affect serum uric acid level? Pooled analysis from two 6-month randomized controlled trials among Chinese postmenopausal women with prediabetes or prehypertension

Association between vegetarian diet and gouty arthritis: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A vegetarian diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, and soy products. Although vegetarian diet is beneficial for improving the health outcomes such as body mass index, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and mortality rate, the association between a vegetarian diet and gout incidence is not well known.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We linked the MJ Health Survey Data and MJ Biodata 2000 with the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and the National Registration of Death (2000-2018). Information on the diet was collected from the MJ Health Survey Data, and the incidence of gouty arthritis was confirmed using the NHIRD. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to compare the differences between vegetarian and non-vegetarian participants. Cox regression models were used to estimate the risk of the incidence of gouty arthritis. Among 76,972 participants, 37,297 (48.46%) were men, 2488 (3.23%) were vegetarians and the mean age was 41.65 ± 14.13 years. The mean baseline uric acid level was 6.14 ± 1.65 mg/dL. A total of 16,897 participants developed gouty arthritis, including 16,447 (22.08%) non-vegetarians and 450 (18.9%) vegetarians over a mean follow-up of 19 years. Significant differences were observed in the Kaplan-Meier survival curves between vegetarians and non-vegetarians (log-rank p < 0.001). Vegetarians had a significantly decreased incidence of gouty arthritis compared with non-vegetarians (hazard ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval = 0.78-0.98, p = 0.02) after adjusting for potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

People with a vegetarian diet had a significantly decreased risk of developing gouty arthritis compared with non-vegetarians in Taiwan.

Gout and Diet: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms and Management

Gout is well known as an inflammatory rheumatic disease presenting with arthritis and abnormal metabolism of uric acid. The recognition of diet-induced systemic metabolic pathways have provided new mechanistic insights and potential interventions on gout progression. However, the dietary recommendations for gouty patients generally focus on food categories, with few simultaneous considerations of nutritional factors and systemic metabolism. It is worthwhile to comprehensively review the mechanistic findings and potential interventions of diet-related nutrients against the development of gout, including purine metabolism, urate deposition, and gouty inflammation. Although piecemeal modifications of various nutrients often provide incomplete dietary recommendations, understanding the role of nutritional factors in gouty development can help patients choose their healthy diet based on personal preference and disease course. The combination of dietary management and medication may potentially achieve enhanced treatment effects, especially for severe patients. Therefore, the role of dietary and nutritional factors in the development of gout is systematically reviewed to propose dietary modification strategies for gout management by: (1) reducing nutritional risk factors against metabolic syndrome; (2) supplementing with beneficial nutrients to affect uric acid metabolism and gouty inflammation; and (3) considering nutritional modification combined with medication supplementation to decrease the frequency of gout flares.

The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals

Soy is a hotly debated and widely discussed topic in the field of nutrition. However, health practitioners may be ill-equipped to counsel clients and patients about the use of soyfoods because of the enormous, and often contradictory, amount of research that has been published over the past 30 years. As interest in plant-based diets increases, there will be increased pressure for practitioners to gain a working knowledge of this area. The purpose of this review is to provide concise literature summaries (400-500 words) along with a short perspective on the current state of knowledge of a wide range of topics related to soy, from the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein to the impact of isoflavones on breast cancer risk. In addition to the literature summaries, general background information on soyfoods, soy protein, and isoflavones is provided. This analysis can serve as a tool for health professionals to be used when discussing soyfoods with their clients and patients.

Effect of Fermented Soymilk-Honey from Different Probiotics on Osteocalcin Level in Menopausal Women

Osteoporosis has been discovered to be a risk factor for menopausal women. Although synbiotics (probiotics and prebiotics) are found in fermented soymilk-honey made using local probiotics, their effect on osteocalcin levels is still unknown. Therefore, this study's objective was to determine the influence of fermented soymilk-honey from different probiotics on osteocalcin levels. A 90-day pre-post quasi-experimental study with a control design was conducted on 54 postmenopausal women divided into three intervention groups namely, the soymilk (SM) group, the soymilk-honey fermented with Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei R-68 (SMH Lc) group, and the soymilk-honey fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum 1 R 1.3.2 (SMH Lp) group. Participants consumed 100 mL of soymilk (SM) or fermented soymilk with honey (SMH Lc or SMH Lp) for 90 days. At the beginning and end of the study, the blood serum osteocalcin level was measured and subjects' health status was assessed, such as cholesterol total, random blood glucose, and uric acid levels. Our results presented that in the SMH Lp group, 90 days supplementation of soy-honey milk fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum 1 R 1.3.2 significantly reduced the level of blood serum osteocalcin. Based on these results it is justified to perform more detailed studies on the effect of fermented soy-honey milk on bone health.

Effects of daidzein and genistein on markers of cardiovascular disease risk among women with impaired glucose regulation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

soy protein and soy isoflavones have been suggested to be associated with improved cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., lipid profiles and uric acid (UA)), but few studies have been conducted among women with impaired glucose regulation (IGR). This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of isolated daidzein and genistein on lipid profiles, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and uric acid (UA) among Chinese women with IGR.

METHODS AND RESULTS

this randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 165 Chinese women aged 30-70 years with IGR. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 0 mg of daidzein and genistein with 10 g soy protein (placebo group), 50 mg of daidzein with 10 g soy protein (daidzein group), or 50 mg of genistein with 10 g soy protein (genistein group) supplementation for 24 weeks. Fasting serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), lipoprotein a (LP (a)), hs-CRP, and UA were assessed at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks after intervention. The results showed no significant differences in the changes (%) of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, LP (a), hs-CRP, and UA between the three treatment groups at weeks 12 or 24 (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

neither isolated daidzein nor genistein had a significant effect on cardiovascular health in Chinese women with IGR.

Gender-Specific Inverse Associations Between Beans Intake, Serum Urate Levels, and Hyperuricemia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Based on the Henan Rural Cohort Study

Background and Aims: Beans are rich in purines, which are important substances that lead to elevated serum urate, especially exogenous purines. Few studies were conducted to assess the relationship between beans intake and serum urate or hyperuricemia, especially in rural people. The purpose of this study was to validate the association by gender in the rural Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 38,855 participants aged 18–79 years old were enrolled from the Henan Rural Cohort Study (Registration number: ChiCTR-OOC-15006699). Dietary data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between beans intake and serum urate levels or hyperuricemia. Restricted cubic spline regression was performed to display the dose–response relationship.

Results: In multivariate-adjusted linear regression, an inverse correlation was found between beans intake and serum urate level (the highest quartile Q4 vs. the bottom quartile Q1) in both men (P = 0.008) and women (P < 0.001). Per 10-g increment in beans intake was associated with 0.30 μmol/L decreased concentration of serum urate in men and 0.71 μmol/L in women. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of hyperuricemia were 0.83 (0.71, 0.97) in men and 0.73 (0.63, 0.84) in women (Q4 vs. Q1). Per 10-g increment in beans intake created a 1% decreased risk of hyperuricemia in men and 3% in women. The cubic spline suggested a risk reduction for hyperuricemia with increasing intake of beans.

Conclusion: A higher beans intake was associated with a lower serum urate level and a reduced risk of hyperuricemia in both sexes, and the association was more pronounced in women.