ConsumerLab.com Fails 25 Percent of Soy, Red Clover Products

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--ConsumerLab.com released its test results for dietary supplements: five out of 18 products had only 50 percent to 80 percent of their labeled isoflavones. In particular, products containing the isoflavone-rich ingredients soy and red clover were tested.

According to their labels, 12 products were made solely from soy isoflavones, two were made from red clover isoflavones and four had combinations of the two ingredients. After the tests, it was found that two combination products, two soy-only products and one red clover product did not pass. The five failed products also claimed specific levels for aglycone isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein. "It is difficult to know exactly why some of the products did not have the amount of isoflavones stated on the label," ConsumerLab.com's report stated. "However, it is possible that some of the red clover-containing products that failed testing may have been made from [the] whole plant as opposed to just `flower tops' or `blossoms,' which are believed to have higher isoflavone content."

Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com, explained that the discrepancy between labels and actual isoflavone contents might be because the term "isoflavones" can also refer to estrogen-like isoflavone molecules or include sugars attached to these molecules--neither of which are considered "real" isoflavones. "The sugars can account for as much as 40 percent to 50 percent of the claimed isoflavone weight, making it hard to judge the potential potency of a product simply claiming to contain `isoflavones,'" Cooperman said. "More descriptive labeling and adherence to claims is needed among phytoestrogen products. Otherwise, consumers can't be sure of what they are getting."