| At a conference in Brussels, Belgium (Septembet 15 to 17, 1996), entitled "The Role of Soy in Medicine," numerous clinical studies wete presented, showing that soy phytoestrogens in doses ranging from 40-160 mg a day produced rapid and significant reductions in menopausal symptoms. Othet studies presented at this conference also reported that in countries where soy is a major constituent of the diet, women do not experience uncomfortable menopausal symptoms in the way Western women do (Ostman 1997). |
Robyn Landis
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 Many foods contain phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Of these, soy is emerging as such a powerful winner that we will discuss it in its own separate section next. However, other foods that may contain plant hormones, since they are valued specifically for women by other cultures, are listed at the start of this chapter.
Note: Most foods or herbs with phytoestrogens are normalizing in either direction. If levels in the body are low, the phytosterols can be precursor substances out of which the body can make its own hormones. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
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 However, a recent comprehensive review from the British government has confirmed the general safety of dietary isoflavones and other phytoestrogens sold as foods and dietary supplements (Committee on Toxicity, 2003). Another critical review focusing on the efficacy of 29 complementary and alternative treatments used in the U.S. |
Michael Castleman
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 Soy foods also contain phytoestrogens, plant versions of the female sex hormone estrogen. According to Claude L. Hughes, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, high blood levels of phytoestrogens help protect women against osteoporosis and breast and ovarian cancer. base, with those you should eat less often positioned toward the narrower top.
Meat falls in the upper middle portion of the Food Pyramid, along with fish, poultry, beans, eggs, nuts and dairy products. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
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| But as the production of these hormones wanes with the onset of menopause, phytoestrogens can help compensate for the hormone deficits and thereby moderate the withdrawal symptoms. This could explain why, for example, only 25 % of menopausal women in Japan suffer hormone withdrawal symptoms as compared with 85 % of women in the U.S. (Notelovitz, 1989).
To test this hypothesis, a placebo-controlled, double-blind study was performed in 104 women in early postmenopause. Fifty-one patients took 60 g of a soy extract daily and 53 patients took 60 g of placebo (casein) daily for 12 weeks. |
| Phytoestrogens and Health. London: The Foods Standards Agency, http://www.food.gov.uk/ multimedia/pdfs/phytoreporto503.
Crouse JR III, Terry JG, Morgan TM, McGill BL, Davis DH, King T, Ellis JE, Burke GL (1998) Soy protein containing isoflavones reduces plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins. Circulation 97: 816.
Dallacker F (1995) Brustkrebs, Forderung und Hemmung durch Lebensgewohnheiten und Umweltfaktoren. Wissenschaft und Umwelt 2: 99-117. Davis SR (2001) Phytoestrogen therapy for menopausal symptoms? There's no good evidence that it's better than placebo. BMJ 323: 354-5. |
Jeffrey M. Smith
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 In the research conducted by Lappe and Bailey, the extraction of phytoestrogens was done using the most up-to-date method. It had replaced an older extraction technique, which gave widely varied and less reliable results. When Monsanto researchers hired a lab to do their extraction, they instructed them to use this older, less reliable method. Sure enough, their results varied widely and they were able to defend their beans on that basis.
The reduced phytoestrogen levels that Lappe and Bailey found demonstrate a recurring problem with GM foods. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Thus, they are referred to as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). But even though they resemble powerful hormones, the plant forms are much weaker, carrying about one-thousandth the potency of estrogen.
This is thought to be a good thing. Soy isoflavones may block strong or toxic estrogens from binding to receptor sites on hormone-dependent tissues such as the breast, uterus, and prostate. By occupying these sites and effectively taking the place of the more powerful forms, the phytoestrogens help prevent cancer growth. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
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| Sheehan SM (1998) Herbal medicines, phytoestrogens and toxicity: risk: benefit considerations. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 217: 379-385.
Sourgens H, Winterhoff H, Gumbinger HG, Kemper FH (1982) Antihormonal effects of plant extracts. THS- and prolactin-supressing properties of Lithospermum officinale and other plants. Planta Med 45: 78-86.
Stevinson C, Ernst E (2000) A pilot study of Hypericum perforatum for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. Br J Obstet Gynecol 107: 870-6.
Stoll W (1987) Phytotherapeutikum beeinfluBt atrophisches Vaginalepithel: Doppelblindversuch Cimicifuga vs. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 I know a naturopath who is very opposed to HRT and instead recommends eating lots of veggies and legumes high in phytoestrogens, which are estrogenlike compounds. He says, "If you add up all the warnings, cautions, contraindications and side effects, the number comes to over 100." My friend is amazed that any physician would prescribe this therapy. Still, the vast majority of doctors do prescribe HRT.
Why? Mainly because HRT also reduces the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, which pose a greater risk to many women than breast cancer. |
| A number of other herbs contain phytoestrogens that could prove useful in helping with menopause. These include apples, celery stalks, dates, elder, false-unicorn root, fennel, Honduran sarsaparilla, lady's slipper, liferoot, Mexican wild yams, passion flower, pomegranates and sassafras.
'here we were, three investigators, each with American Indian family
A connections, gazing at a patch of squaw vine. One of my companions was a bona fide Lumbee Indian, whose tribe lives near the border between North and South Carolina. |
| One cup of soybeans (about 200 grams) provides about 300 milligrams of the most important class of phytoestrogens, isoflavones. That amount could provide about the equivalent of one tablet of Premarin, the commonly prescribed synthetic hormone used in ERT.
Studies show that women who regularly eat soy foods have few hot flashes, and they have more cells in their vaginal linings. These extra cells offset the vaginal dryness and irritation that are so common in postmenopausal women.
Soybeans are not the only beans high in isoflavones. |
| Herbalists believe that phytoestrogens help minimize menstrual cramps by bringing the body's hormone levels into better balance.
One phytoestrogen in red clover is the compound formononetin. Although "clover disease" has been known to cause infertility in sheep that graze on it, you won't get enough clover to be even remotely concerned about this effect. Have red clover in tea, and it just might relieve cramping problems.
VV Squaw vine (Mitchella repens). Cherokee women routinely took squaw vine for "period pains," according to Daniel Moerman, Ph.D. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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 Phyto-hormonal
Contains the phytoestrogens sterol, beta-sitosterol.
Contains the phytoestrogen^ isoflavone, formononetin and beta-sitosterol.
Chaste tree is thought to increase luteinizing hormone production and inhibit the release of follicle stimulating hormone. This shifts the ratio of estrogens to progestagens in favor of the progestagens with a corpus luteum hormone effect.
Prolactin is inhibited by chaste tree. The luteinizing hormone release and progesterone synthesis has been attributed to inhibition of prolactin activity. |
Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra
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 These phytoestrogens are even good for the heart. Studies conducted in China and Japan have shown that people who consume large quantities of phytoestrogen-containing plants have a low incidence of heart attack. Soy products like miso, tofu, and soy milk are traditional in the Japanese diet, and Japanese women experience virtually no menopausal symptoms. Bioflavonoids, concentrated in citrus fruits (especially in the pulp and white of the rind), also have estrogenic properties and have been helpful in controlling hot flashes, anxiety, and mood swings in some women. |
| For men, these phytoestrogens are especially important in reducing the incidence of prostate cancer. It is noteworthy that Japanese men, whose diet is low in fat and high in soy products, have a low incidence of prostate cancer.
Another nutrient associated with the prevention of prostate cancer is lycopene. Lycopene is a protective carotenoid responsible for the red color in tomatoes. Several studies have observed a direct association between increased consumption of tomatoes and a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. |
| Any foods, for example, with a high-fiber content are a tremendous source of phytonutrients including flavonoids, phytoestrogens, lignins, and carotenoids. Since these phytonutrients impact other cholesterol interactions, it can be assumed that these factors are also associated with a cholesterol-lowering effect. Thus, it is important to consider that food high in dietary fiber, rather than just fiber supplements alone, is the way to go. |
Gale Maleskey
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 You can begin by eating more foods containing phytoestrogens, plant compounds that mimic the biological activities of female hormones. These foods include legumes and soy products, such as tofu.
Dr. Wotton also suggests supplementing your diet with a few important minerals and vitamins. She recommends 150 milligrams of magnesium twice a day, 400 to 800 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily, and a daily vitamin B-complex supplement that contains 100 milligrams of B6 and 50 micrograms of biotin.
"With these supplements, you're giving your body all the right raw materials," Dr. |
| These three supplements are phytoestrogens, or plant forms of estrogen. They bind with estrogen receptor sites, which are like dedicated landing sites on your cells. These sites would normally be occupied by your body's much stronger estrogen, but when plant estrogens start to hog the sites, your estrogen has no place to go and ends up being excreted, says Dr. Brett. "That's exactly what you want to happen with endometriosis."
If you reduce the amount of estrogen circulating in your body, you'll probably also reduce the pain of endometriosis, says Dr. Brett. |
Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, Assembly of Life Sciences National Research Council
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 Some nonsteroidal phytoestrogens that are natural components of some foods compete for estrogen receptors in rat uterine cytosol in tissue sections from 7,12-dimethylbenz[ajanthracene-induced mammary tumors, and in mammary tumor tissue from humans (Verdeal et al., 1980). The significance of these findings in the etiology of neoplasia in humans is not known.
Experimental Evidence: Mutagenicity. Genistein and coumestrol were not mutagenic in the Salmonella microsome assay (Bartholomew and Ryan, 1980). |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Alfalfa sprouts contain phytoestrogens, so use them liberally on salads. Even if they don't relieve endometriosis symptoms, they are green vegetables, and eating more vegetables lowers cancer risk. If you have lupus or a family history of lupus, however, steer clear of alfalfa sprouts. There's some evidence that they may trigger lupus in sensitive individuals.
V Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). I think of evening primrose oil (EPO) more as a treatment for the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) than for endometriosis. (For more information on EPO and PMS, see page 364. |
Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, Assembly of Life Sciences National Research Council
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| Affinity of phytoestrogens for estradiol-binding proteins and effects of coumesterol on growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced rat mammary tumors. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 64:285-290.
Vesselinovitch, S. D., N. Mihailovich, G. N. Wogan, L. S. Lombard, and K. V. N. Rao. 1972. Aflatoxin B^, a hepatocarcinogen in the infant mouse. Cancer Res. 32:2289-2291.
Vogel, C. L., P. P. Anthony, N. Mody, and L. F. Barker. 1970. Hepatitis-associated antigen in Ugandan patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Lancet 2:621-624. von Wright, A., A. Niskanen, and H. Pyysalo. 1977. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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| These isoflavones have very weak estrogenic activity compared with natural estrone or synthetic DES. 180 phytoestrogens can act as anti-estrogens to compete with estradiol for cytoplasmic receptors in estrogen-sensitive tissues.181
182 Soybeans, which also contain estrogenic isoflavones, have been implicated as being responsible for the low incidence of breast and other female reproductive cancers in Japanese woman who consume large amounts of soybean products.
183 The same protective action may be possible with red clover and should be studied further. |
Prevention Magazine
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 Black beans (which you can cook up into great-tasting soups or sprinkle into salads) contain about the same amount of phytoestrogens as soybeans. Ground flaxseed, which can be baked into bread and muffins, is also a good source.
What's more, you don't have to eat a lot of phytoestrogen-rich foods to get the benefits. Getting just 2 ounces of tofu or tempeh (a cake made from soybeans) a day can help prevent hot flashes from coming back. Or you could have a bowl of miso soup, which is flavored with a salty condiment made from soybeans and salt. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 It contains phytoestrogens that can help in both low estrogen states like menopause and high estrogen states like premenstrual syndrome.
11. Because it is much sweeter than sugar, it can mask the bitter flavor of medicinal herbs taken in tea form.
Recommended dose for oral use: powdered root, 1 to 4 grams a day; fluid extract, 1 teaspoon before meals three times a day; solid extract, Vi teaspoon before meals; deglycyrrhizinated licorice powder or tablets, 250 milligrams three times a day. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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| The isoflavone in licorice called formononetin, has very weak estrogenic activity compared with natural estrone or synthetic DES.180 phytoestrogens can behave like anti-estrogens by competing with estradiol for cytoplasmic receptors in estrogen-sensitive tissues, possibly acting as protection against stronger estrogenic action from estradiol and protecting against cancers that are estrogen receptor positive. |
| Phytoestrogens will produce similar results to estrogens such as growth and increased weight of the uterus. Research measuring weight increase of uteri in mice showed sterols to have the most activity, followed by coumestans and then isoflavones.224,291
Coumestans have a high affinity for the human estrogen receptor.283 They are estimated to be 200 times less potent than estrone and 3000 times less potent than diethylstilbestrol, and 30-100 times more potent than isoflavones. Animal studies have shown coumestans can reduce folhcle-stimulating hormone and lutenizing hormone levels. |
| The most potent phytoestrogens are the phytosterols. Common foods, which contain phytosterols, are chestnuts, sesame, safflower, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Phytosterols are most common in whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
The sterol, beta-sitosterol has phytoestrogen activity as well as anti-inflammatory activity and antipyretic activity.228229 It can be found in Anemone pratensis, Angelica sinensis, Calendula officinalis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hypericum perforatum, Larrea spp., Panax spp., Piscidia erythrina, Plantago psyllium, Serenoa repens, Symphytum spp. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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| Containing highly active phytoestrogens (400 times less active in estrogen activity than animal estrogens), dong quai can be useful in both high- and low-estrogen conditions. If estrogen levels are low, it will exert a mild but needed estrogen-like effect—useful, therefore, in conditions such as amenorrhea (premature cessation of periods) and menopause. If estrogen levels are too high, it will fill up some of the estrogen sites, thereby exerting a decreased estrogen effect in the system. Such mechanisms may explain its usefulness in menstrual cramps and in some cases of premenstrual syndrome. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Soy is high in genistein and daidzein, but lots of other beans are also quite high in genistein, which appears to be the more active of the two phytoestrogens.
I predict that in the near future, the scientists who have been claiming that soy is a unique source of genistein will stop doing so. I also predict that there will be more emphasis on bean sprouts. As beans germinate, their genistein content (and the total phytoestrogen content) increases. And if the sprouts have fungi (as many homegrown sprouts do), the genistein content may increase as much as a hundredfold. |
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