SOYA PLANT OESTROGENS FOR MENOPAUSE AND BONE STRENGTH

from Higher Nature

Soya is rarely out of the news these days, and we are presented with more and more food made from soya. Why?

There is a good reason. People living in Oriental countries who eat a lot of soya have a lower incidence of degenerative diseases. The conditions now thought to be favourably affected by a high soya diet include breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and menopausal.symptoms. It's an impressive list, enough to make us sit up and take notice.

But how does soya achieve these effects? We now know that soya contains natural plant oestrogens, or 'phytoestrogens'. Plant oestrogens have a unique ability. If the body is too low in oestrogen, plant oestrogens will safely increase the body's effective oestrogen level. But if oestrogen is already uncomfortably high then plant oestro- gens will actually reduce the body's overall oestrogen. So plant oestrogens have a marvellous, hormone-balancing effect.

How do they do this?

Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids linked together by what are called 'peptide bonds'. These long chains are wound up just like a ball of wooi. The acid secreted by the stomach has the effect of denaturing or unravelling these balls of protein, exposing the amino acid chains so that digestive enzymes can get to work on them. Protein digesting enzymes which are secreted by the stomach lining, the pancreas and the small intestine then split the peptide bonds, freeing the individual amino acids for absorption. This is how the body obtains the basic units of protein we need, the amino acids, from the food we consume.

Plant oestrogens are far weaker than human oestrogens. This gives them their unique ability to help balance hormones. When we eat foods containing plant oestrogens some of these molecules reach our bloodstream. As they travel around the body they attach to the Ioestrogen receptors' (rather like fitting keys into locks). When the body's oestrogen is low, plant oestrogens attach to receptor sites and increase the body's oestrogen function. But when the body already has an overload, the weaker plant oestrogens compete with the stronger hormones for receptor sites and so dilute the overall hormonal effect.

Oestrogen is low, plant oestrogens attach to receptor sites and increase the body's oestrogen function. But when the body already has an overload, the weaker plant oestrogens compete with the stronger hormones for receptor sites and so dilute the overall hormonal effect. This diluting effect can also help women (and men) suffering from toxic oestrogens from the environment. Many common chemicals, such as pesticides, plastics, hair dyes and even dish-washing liquids are 'oestrogenic' and highly toxic. Scientists now believe these toxic oestrogens are responsible for rising infertility in women and falling sperm counts in men. Toxic oestrogens are also thought to be responsible for many cancers.

"Plant oestrogens have a marvellous, hormone-balancing effect... An Italian study just publisbed suggests that eating soya can reduce the frequency of hot flusbes by as much as 45%"

Japanese women, who traditionally eat diets high in soya, are known to suffer from significantly less breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, and osteoporosis than Western women. As a result, soya plant oestrogens are being studied by research institutions and universities all over the world, and there is now a large body of scientific literature pointing to some impressive benefits. Here are some of the results:

Menopausal symptoms

Because of its oestrogenic effect, soya offers a natural alternative to HRT. Women who eat a high soya diet have less hot flushes, less headaches and reduced bone loss. An Italian study just published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology suggests that eating soya can reduce the frequency of hot flushes by as much as 45%.

Soya oestrogens are ideal to take along with natural progesterone creams Progesterone also reduces menopausal symptoms and is thought to actually increase bone density, whereas oestrogen probably only slows, bone loss. However progesterone does not always prevent hot flushes, and menopausal women may also need an oestrogen supplement to correct vaginal dryness. Equally soya oestrogens cannot substitute for progesterone. It is important to try to maintain both these hormones in balance.

It is important not to confuse progesterone with yam creams or capsules. Yam is another high oestrogen plant, so don't take soya and yam supplements at the same time.

Bone health

Because soya oestrogens help achieve a balanced oestrogen level they can help maintain bone strength and may prevent osteoporosis. According to researchers at the University of Illinois post-menopausal women with high concentrations of soya in their diet have greater bone mineral density, and Japanese women who eat a lot of soya are known to suffer from less osteoporosis.

Heart disease

Scientific research now suggests that plant oestrogens are responsible for many of the cardiovascular benefits of soya. Studies show that these oestrogens are anti-oxidant, and not only help to decrease the 'bad' LDL cholesterol, but increase the 'good' HDL cholesterol.

Preventing cancer - male and female

Researchers are linking plant oestrogens and other molecules found in soya to its anti-carcinogenic properties. In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology women who ate foods high in plant oestrogens such as soya foods had 54% less cancer of the lining of the womb, compared with women who had few plant oestrogens in their food. A high level of plant oestrogens in the diet is also known to help to prevent breast cancer. The good news is that soya is good for men too. It can help prevent prostate cancer in men and lung cancer in both men and women. These are some of the biggest killers in the world.

"Soya can help prevent prostate cancer in men and lung cancer in both men and women. These are some of the biggest killers in the world"

New ways to take soya

If eating soya can do all that hadn't we better start eating tofu right away? The problem is that Westerners haven't taken to soya foods much. Although soya is now available in the West as soya milk and even bread, in addition to tofu and other oriental soya foods, many Western people find soya causes flatulence and digestive difficuties. In addition, the amounts of soya foods that Japanese women eat to achieve protection from menopausal and post menopausal problems is high - the equivalent of half a litre of soya milk or 140 grams of tofu a day.

Fortunately soya achieves its remarkable effects because it contains certain plant oestrogens. These can now be concentrated so that you can take all the plant oestrogens you need in convenient tablets. As a group, these soya oestrogens are called isoflavones, but only some of these are active. The active oestrogens in soya are now known to be genistein, diadzein and glycetein.

The richest source of these active soya oestrogens are found in fermented soya foods. Not only is fermented soya more digestible, research at the University of Scranton shows that the fermentation process also considerably raises the level of active oestrogens. Now a natural food company has perfected a modern method of fermenting soya that gives even higher levels of oestrogens than traditionally fermented foods such as miso and natto. It is called Soyagen. For those who don't want to make soya a large part of their diet, specially fermented soya extract supplements may be a good health investment.

This article was first produced by Higher Nature