Is Ipriflavone Effective for Osteoporosis? A Review of Benefits & Side Effects

Ipriflavone is a synthetic isoflavone similar to the plant estrogens found in soy and other herbs. Given the fact that ipriflavone is synthetic, I consider it to be more of a drug than a nutritional supplement.

Ipriflavone benefits:

The evidence to date has been inconclusive; some studies suggest an improvement in bone density while more recent–and better controlled–studies have shown no significant difference between ipriflavone and placebo. Even if we were to give ipriflavone the benefit of the doubt and accept it as an effective tool in increasing the density of the bones, I would still be hesitant to recommend it to my patients. When we look at the mechanism by which isoflavones, as a class, work on the bones, you will note that it is not unlike the medications that I rally against. Isoflavones work by inhibiting the breakdown of old, brittle bone. As I teach you in the book, this process (called bone resorption) is a necessary process if your goal is to build healthy, strong bones! We want to build new, strong, pliable bones rather than just maintain the density by keeping around old, brittle bone. The research on ipriflavone is simply not strong enough to warrant the Strong Bones Forever Stamp of Approval.

Ipriflavone Side Effects:

I wish I could say that the ipriflavone drug (yes, I consider it a drug) is, at worst, ineffective. Unfortunately, studies have drawn the safety of this drug into question. In the studies, patients who were taking the ipriflavone showed a decreased number of disease-fighting white blood cells. In my practice, I have witnessed this effect in patients who came to my office already taking ipriflavone. This means that ipriflavone could decrease your ability to fight viruses, bacteria and cancer.

Ipriflavone is considered a drug because there is no such thing as a natural ipriflavone source; it is a synthetic compound. In addition, the product has a mechanism of action and side effects that make it resemble a drug rather than a nutritional ingredient. Needless to say, this product gets a thumbs down.