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Meta-Analysis
. 2019 Mar 8;9(1):3964.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-40647-x.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effect of Soy on Thyroid Function

Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effect of Soy on Thyroid Function

Jemiliat Otun et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Soy foods have had an important dietary role in Asian countries for centuries, and in recent years they have become increasingly popular in Western countries as a result of their suggested health benefits. Nevertheless, there are some concerns that soy can have a negative effect on thyroid function and can alter the levels of thyroid hormones. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the link between soy or soy product consumption and thyroid function via the measurement of thyroid hormone levels. A systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken on all randomised controlled trials of studies including soy as an intervention and where free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured. The search included PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and sources for the grey literature. Quantitative data synthesis was performed using a random-effects model, with standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval as summary statistics. A total of 18 articles were suitable for review. The meta-analysis showed no significant changes in fT3 (WMD: 0.027 pmol/L, 95% CI: -0.052, 0.107, p = 0.499; I2: 55.58%), fT4 (WMD: -0.003 pmol/L, 95% CI: -0.018, 0.011, p = 0.656; I2: 87.58%) while an elevation in TSH levels was observed (WMD: 0.248 mIU/L, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.494, p = 0.049; I2: 80.31%) levels with soy supplementation. There was no evidence of publication bias. Soy supplementation has no effect on the thyroid hormones and only very modestly raises TSH levels, the clinical significance, if any, of the rise in TSH is unclear.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Studies Selection Flow Diagram. *In addition to the main search and screening process documented in the PRISMA flow diagram, an updated search in PubMed was conducted before publishing. 145 new references were identified and screened by hand. 3 additional papers were selected to be added to the study leading to a result of 18 papers included in the meta- analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot displaying weighted mean difference and 95% confidence intervals for the impact of soy products on fT3, fT4 and TSH levels.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis of the impact of soy products on fT3, fT4 and TSH levels.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot detailing publication bias in the studies reporting the impact of soy products on fT3, fT4 and TSH levels.

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