|
With the recent concerns of
hormone replacement therapy swimming through the media and the
medical establishment, one of the top questions many women
have on their mind is what alternatives are available. My
herb
dictionary discusses some of the popular herbs and vitamins
that are utilized either with or without
hormone replacement,
however natural plant derived estrogens from foods such as soy
have merited special attention.
TOP
Does Soy Include Estrogen?
Yes and no. Soy does not
contain estradiol, the form of estrogen that the body uses,
but contains a sterol or cholesterol-derived chemical called
an isoflavone, which leads to estrogen and estradiol formation
in the body. It is isoflavone found in the foods of soy
products that contribute to the estrogen-like benefits.
TOP
What are some benefits of soy
isoflavones that are now being studied?
Control of Hot Flashes:
Menopausal symptoms
such as hot flashes, headaches, and fatigue have shown
enormous improvements with regular soy diet. For instance,
women from Asian countries with a traditionally high soy-based
diet are known for having less hot flashes, fatigue and
headaches. Whereas Asian diets usually comprise of up to 30-40
mg of soy a day, the American diet comprises of less than 2
mg.
TOP
Relieve Vaginal Inadequacies:
Vaginal dryness and thinning are common complaints for women
as they age with estrogen diminishing through time. However,
soy isoflavones help to increase the
perimenopausal state of
the vaginal mucosa, thus diminishing vaginal dryness and
atrophy.
Breast Cancer Prevention:
One of the reasons
why soy isoflavones may help prevent breast cancer is that it
may prevent toxic estrogen metabolites from forming. Estrogen
in itself may break down in the breast and form toxic
substances; however, certain studies are revealing that soy
isoflavones are metabolized differently, thus either bypassing
the toxic phase of most estrogen hormones, or even “cleaning
up” the toxic estrogen metabolites from the system. This
information is highly speculative, but there is much research
into why soy may be a large reason why the incidence of breast
cancer is so much lower in Asian countries.
Lowers cholesterol and risk of
heart disease:
Cholesterol is normally
seen as being contributive to heart disease and hypertension.
However, there are two types of cholesterol molecules, or
lipids. First there is the LDL, or low-density lipids that are
“lousy”. Soy has been shown in studies to lower this type of
bad cholesterol. However, there is also HDL, or hi-density
lipids, which are the “happy” cholesterol molecules, and in
addition to exercise, soy has been shown to increase this.
TOP
Prevention of Osteoporosis:
A recent study done by
the Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000 has revealed that
postmenopausal females who had lower back osteoporosis
diagnosis showed an improvement in bone strength as compared
to the group that didn’t. Though this too is a newly
researched area, there is possibility that more studies will
come out discussing some of the bone benefits that soy may
provide.
What are good sources of soy?
Here is a list of some popular
foods that are rich in soy:
·
Soybeans: As a
stand-alone food, soybeans and soy sprouts are either eaten
whole, boiled, or stir-fried.
·
Miso: The
fermented bean paste is used as a base for this popular soup
and sauce in Japanese cuisine.
·
Soymilk: This
milk substitute is made from cooked soybeans, and is both
nutritious and sweet. Almost all supermarkets have soymilk on
the shelves right next to regular milk and dairy products.
· Tofu:
Whether raw, baked, pressed, fermented, boiled or stir-fried,
this bean curd is the staple of many Chinese, Korean, and
Japanese meals. A common way of adding this to a daily
American diet is to add it to salads and soups.
TOP
|
|
|
What about other forms of soy
like pills, supplements or soy bars?
It is uncertain how effective
the ingredients in soy and other legumes are if they are taken
out of their natural form as food. Although we’ve discovered
much about the benefits of isoflavones, we don’t know if they
are as effective when they are artificially repackaged.
Because there is still little evidence for the efficacy of soy
supplementation through pills or supplements, organizations
including the National Women’s Health Network discourage the
use of these additives. Remember, when at all possible, eat
whole foods, or come up with ways of adding them to your
favorite foods.
TOP
|
|
Is soy only beneficial to menopausal women?
Though most of the attention
of soy recently has been primarily for women, there are
studies out that show a decrease of prostate problems for men
when soy is consumed in the diet. Also, soy may prove to have
a particular dramatic effect in pre-pubertal, and pubertal
girls, since this is the period in which estrogen receptors
become active. It is especially important to incorporate a
healthy high fiber and soy-supplemented diet during these
crucial years of development. There is strong evidence that
our reliance on fattening fast-food diets, particularly with
the now industrializing Asian cities, are responsible for the
increased incidence of various cancers that our now a major
worldwide health problem. As Asian cultures adopt western
styles of clothing, music, and food, it seems as though they
have also adopted some of our public health concerns too. We
may all have something to learn about the value of a
traditional Asian diet. Perhaps McDonald’s will show some
social responsibility by offering the McSoy meal!
In the meantime, remember that
soy should not be thought of as replacement for your medical
treatment. However, I strongly advocate the incorporation of
soy, flaxseed, beans, rye, and whole wheat into our daily
diet. One thing that is becoming apparent is the importance
of adopting healthy eating early on in your development.
Conditions that afflict women in this country such as heart
disease, endometrial and breast cancers, as well as
osteoporosis may be prevented or postponed with soy included
in the daily diet. So adopt healthy habits for you and your
whole family early on while you learn about the many joys of
soy.
|
