Research
Hormonal
High dietary intake of phytoestrogens (specifically isoflavones and lignans) is associated with reduced incidence of hormone-related cancers (breast, prostate, endometrial) in epidemiological studies.
Maintaining a diet rich in soy and flax products is associated with lower rates of breast and prostate cancer. This benefit is observed in populations with long-term high intake.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The highest rates of these cancers are typically observed in populations with Western lifestyles... whereas the lowest rates are typically observed in Asian populations with Eastern lifestyles that include plant-based diets with a high content of phytoestrogens.
Why this rating
Consistent epidemiological data across multiple populations and studies, supported by mechanistic animal data.
Source
Potential Health Benefits of Dietary Phytoestrogens: A Review of the Clinical, Epidemiological, and Mechanistic Evidence<sup>1</sup>
Doris M. Tham et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 1998
DOI 10.1210/jcem.83.7.4752
narrative_reviewCited 722×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Dietary phytoestrogens (specifically isoflavones from soy and lignans from flax) may confer health benefits for cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and menopausal symptoms through both estrogen-receptor-dependent and independent mechanisms.Moderate
- Soy protein containing phytoestrogens may lower LDL cholesterol and improve lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic individuals, primarily through up-regulation of LDL receptors.Moderate
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