Nutrients, Vol. 17, Pages 2833: Comparing the Effects of Dairy and Soybean on Bone Health in Women: A Food- and Component-Level Network Meta-Analysis

Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu17172833

Authors:
Li You
Langrun Wang
Shiwen Zhou
Yiran Guan
Yan Liu
Ruixin Zhu
Huiyu Chen
Jie Guo
Keji Li
Xingyu Bao
Haotian Feng
Ignatius M. Y. Szeto
Jian He
Ran Wang
Jingjing He

Background/Objectives: Dairy and soybean are important potential dietary sources of bone health. However, their comparative effectiveness and the role of specific components remain unclear. In this network meta-analysis (NMA), we aimed to compare the effects of various dairy and soy products (food level) and their key bioactive components (component level) on bone health in healthy women. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (up to 28 February 2025) for randomized controlled trials. A frequentist random-effects NMA was used to compare interventions for lumbar spine (LS) and total body (TB) bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers [osteocalcin (OC), deoxypyridinoline (DPD)]. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals were pooled. Interventions were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Results: Sixty RCTs involving 6284 participants (mean age: 54.2 years) were included. At the food level, no dairy or soy interventions significantly improved outcomes versus control, although milk + yogurt ranked numerically highest based on SUCRA values. At the bioactive-component level, the combination of casein + whey protein (MD 0.04 g/cm2, 95% CI 0.01–0.06) and soybean protein (MD: 0.03 g/cm2, 95% CI: 0.01–0.05) significantly increased TB BMD. Whey protein alone (SUCRA 74.4% for LS BMD) and casein + whey protein (SUCRA 86.3% for TB BMD and 75.9% for DPD) were among the highest-ranked interventions for bone health. Conclusions: The combination of milk and yogurt may be relatively promising among dairy products for bone health. Whey protein appears to be a key bioactive component beneficial for women’s bone health.

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Li You www.mdpi.com