Isoflavone Research Initiative

Isoflavones are secondary plant metabolites typically found in the diet. They are held responsible for a multitude of beneficial effects on health. The effects have been examined in more than 10,000 studies. Isoflavone-containing plants are primarily soy and red clover, but also alfalfa contains these micronutrients, which have been compared with vitamins by some scientists.

The Isoflavone Research Initiative is exclusively focusing on this singular substance group, and presents the most recent findings related to the benefits, but also the safety of application of isoflavones.

Isoflavones are typical constituents of certain food plants from human nutrition and animal feeding, such as soy, red clover or alfalfa (lucerne). Their chemical structure resembles that of the flavones, typical contrituents of many fruits and legumes - the syllable "iso" tells the chemist that a part of the molecule is differently attached.

The best-known isoflavones are genistein, daidzein and glycitein from soy and red clover, and biochanin A and formononetin from red clover. The latter are transformed to the former in the human gastrointestinal tract.