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Equol

Meaning

A non-steroidal compound classified as an isoflavandiol, which is produced in the gut of some individuals through the bacterial metabolism of the dietary isoflavone daidzein, primarily found in soy products. Equol is clinically significant because it is one of the few isoflavones capable of binding selectively to estrogen receptors, particularly the Estrogen Receptor Beta (ER-β), exhibiting a milder estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effect depending on the tissue context. Only a subset of the population possesses the requisite gut flora to produce this metabolite.