Frequently Asked Questions What are isoflavones? Isoflavones are plant compounds found only in legumes or pulses. Legumes or pulses include lentils, clover, chickpeas and a large variety of beans including soybeans. Isoflavones are naturally occurring and are highly important dietary components for a number of different reasons. Men in communities consuming a diet high in isoflavones enjoy a lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as prostate disease, osteoporosis heart disease and hormone associated cancers when compared to men in western communities who have a lower isoflavone consumption and a higher incidence of degenerative diseases. How can isoflavone intake be increased? There are two ways to increase isoflavones in the diet: consume a wide variety of legumes on a daily basis, or take a daily standardised isoflavone supplement specifically designed for men and containing all of the four important isoflavones. What are the benefits of taking Trinovin compared to increasing the quantity of legume consumption? The main advantage of taking a daily Trinovin tablet over consuming legumes is the guarantee of obtaining ideal levels of isoflavones in the body each and every day. The uncertainty that surrounds the precise isoflavone content from the diet is essentially removed with supplementation using Trinovin. At first glance it would appear that there is no obvious advantage of supplements over consuming legumes in providing the regular daily dietary source of isoflavones. However, because the precise content of isoflavones in legumes varies enormously, depending upon the different varieties, crops and harvest conditions of the plant sources of isoflavones, there is always a degree of uncertainty surrounding the actual amount of biologically active isoflavones consumed. In the case of some sources, such as chickpeas, isoflavones are principally present only during sprouting. In addition, the amount of isoflavones in different soy products varies substantially due to differences in processing and lack of standardisation. A further point to consider is that the isoflavones found in many plant sources are mostly present as a glycoside (ie attached to a sugar molecule). The glycoside must first be metabolised in the gut before the isoflavone is in a form that can be readily absorbed. Because the glycoside must first be metabolised, there is individual variations and a degree of uncertainty as to the amount of absorption of the aglycone form. The isoflavones present in Trinovin are in the aglycone form and from pharmacokinetic studies have been proven to be extremely well absorbed. It is therefore difficult to be confident of the amount of isoflavones consumed from the diet unless detailed information about the isoflavone content of the food is available, or a wide variety of dietary isoflavone sources are routinely consumed. Thus the main advantage of standardised isoflavone supplements over consuming legumes are that there is a guarantee of obtaining a total of 40 mg isoflavones on a daily basis. It would be interesting to know what proportion of middle aged men or women are prepared to change their diets on a permanent basis in order to ensure intake of 40 mg of active isoflavones daily. The uncertainty that surrounds the precise isoflavone content from the diet is essentially removed with supplementation using Trinovin. DISCLAIMER Please note that this site is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. The user of this site should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health professional. The user is encouraged to consult their own health care provider with any questions or concerns they may have regarding their condition and to explore further the health management options that should be considered. Web Site Design and Development by Newgency