The jury is still out on whether eating soy foods can prevent breast and prostate cancers, but the research is encouraging, particularly for women.
Q: Can soy foods prevent breast or prostate cancer?
A: The jury is still out on that one, but the research is promising, particularly for women. Soy foods contain compounds called phytoestrogens, which are akin to very weak forms of estrogen. When eaten in foods (as opposed to supplements), the anti-cancer results are subtle, but still potentially significant. Phytoestrogens can bind to estrogen receptors in the breasts and other tissue and in some ways provide a kinder, gentler substitute for natural, ovary-produced estrogen. Since high lifetime exposure to estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer, some scientists hypothesize that phytoestrogens protect against cancer growth by blocking natural estrogen and reducing total exposure to the hormone. In Asian women, who consume far more soy than American women do, a diet rich in soy foods has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer and cancer recurrence. Current research indicates that soy may offer more cancer protection when it’s consumed earlier in life, during
