What the research says ⬇️
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds in foods that mimic estrogen. They include:
✔️ Isoflavones in soy
✔️ Lignans in flax seeds
✔️ Resveratrol in wine
Research shows that eating more phytoestrogens is correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women before menopause and a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence in women after menopause (PMID 35241506 and 38070485).
How much?
The most risk reduction was in women who ate about 60 mg of soy isoflavones per day, or 2-3 servings of soy.
One caveat is that soy is a common allergen, often genetically engineered, and highly processed 😬
So look for organic soy products that are minimally processed—like tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame.
If you don’t want to make sense of all this by yourself and want a personalized assessment and plan for hormonal health, we are here to help!
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REFERENCES:
-Boutas I, Kontogeorgi A, Dimitrakakis C, Kalantaridou SN. Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis. In Vivo. 2022;36(2):556-562. [link]
-Desmawati D, Sulastri D. Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019;7(3):495-499. [link]
-van Die MD, Bone KM, Visvanathan K, et al. Phytonutrients and outcomes following breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024;8(1). [link]