| Biological activity strength |
Weaker (requires metabolic activation) |
Stronger (is itself an active metabolite) |
| Individual response differences |
Only 30-50% of the population can convert it to S-equol |
Can be directly utilized by everyone, with stable effects |
| Estrogen receptor selectivity |
Binds to both ERα and ERβ |
Highly prefers ERβ (>100 times more than ERα) |
| Tissue selectivity |
Broader action |
More inclined to act on bones, blood vessels, skin, and brain, avoiding the mammary glands and uterus |
| Metabolic stability |
Short half-life (a few hours) |
Longer half-life (7-8 hours) |
| Efficacy consistency |
Varies from person to person (depends on gut microbiota) |
Predictable effects, strong consistency |
