Research
Hormonal
Equol supplementation improves arterial stiffness and may lower LDL cholesterol in overweight individuals, suggesting cardiovascular benefits.
For overweight individuals, equol supplementation may help improve arterial stiffness and lower LDL cholesterol. However, results vary, and it should not replace standard cardiovascular care or lifestyle changes.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Interventions with natural equol in overweight Japanese men and women suggested it may help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and improving the cardio-ankle vascular index (a blood pressure-independent index of arterial stiffness) [146].
Why this rating
Based on short-term RCTs and observational studies; results are promising but not yet definitive for long-term mortality.
Source
Equol: A Bacterial Metabolite from The Daidzein Isoflavone and Its Presumed Beneficial Health Effects
Baltasar Mayo et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11092231
narrative_reviewCited 400×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Equol is produced by only 25-50% of humans via gut bacteria, and this 'equol producer' status determines whether dietary soy provides significant health benefits.Good
- Supplementation with S(-)-equol (10-30 mg/day) reduces the severity and frequency of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) in both equol-producing and non-producing women.Moderate
- Equol supplementation prevents bone mineral density loss and reduces bone resorption in postmenopausal women.Moderate
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