What effect does equol have on the benefits of soy isoflavones?

Equol is another type of soy isoflavone and is produced through the metabolism of daidzein by gut bacteria. It is thought to have strong antioxidant, estrogenic, and antiestrogenic effects and might be more beneficial than daidzein and genistein. However, some people are not able to produce equol, possibly due to the composition of their gut microbiome. Because of this, people who are “equol-producers” are likely to experience more benefit from soy isoflavone intake than people who are “nonequol-producers”.^[1][2]