Originally published February 9 2006
Wake Forest study claims soy phytoestrogens do not raise breast cancer risk
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Charles E. Wood, D.V.M., Ph.D., lead researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, discusses his latest research, which demonstrates that soy phytoestrogens do not raise the risk of breast cancer in older women.
Research in monkeys suggests that the natural plant estrogens found in soy do not increase markers of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
"Even at high doses, we found no evidence that the estrogen-like compounds in soy, called isoflavones, stimulate cell growth or other markers for cancer risk in breast tissue," said Charles E. Wood, D.V.M., Ph.D., lead researcher, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
"The study also suggests that women who have higher levels of estrogen may actually gain a protective effect from higher doses of soy isoflavones."
Wood said there has been much debate about whether higher levels of dietary soy are safe or beneficial for postmenopausal women.
Some evidence has suggested that isoflavones may protect against the more powerful estrogen produced by the body, which is an important risk factor for breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
For example, population studies show that women who consume diets high in soy generally have lower rates of breast cancer.
On the other hand, soy isoflavones have been shown to stimulate breast cancer cells in mice and in cells grown in the laboratory.
Isoflavone doses were equivalent to the following human levels: no isoflavones, 60 milligrams (comparable to the typical Asian diet), 120 milligrams (the highest levels that can be consumed through diet alone), or 240 milligrams (levels obtained through supplements).
Estrogen levels in postmenopausal women can vary depending on their amounts of body fat, which produces estrogen, and whether they are taking hormone therapy.
The researchers measured how the diets affected markers for breast cancer risk, including breast cell proliferation.
In the high-estrogen environment, there was higher breast cell proliferation both when isoflavones weren't in the diet and when they were present in lower doses.
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