Diagnosed with BreastCancer

Soy Foods May Boost Survival for Those Diagnosed with BreastCancer

Soy, popularly known as the vegetarian source of protein, is a common ingredient that is cooked into various dishes in India, using a mix of spices and vegetables. Belonging to the family of legumes, you can consume soy beans in a number of ways - whole beans, tofu, soy milk, soya nuggets, soy sauce, soy oil, fermented soy products, so on and so forth. Soy is a great alternative for those who are vegetarian or vegan, or someone who is keen to try different food sources. The beans taste similar to other beans like red kidney beans and can be made into dals, while the most popularly available soya chunks can be used in curries, which have almost the same texture as meat. Tofu, quite similar to paneer, can also be sautéed with other seasonal veggies or made into curries. The beans are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals.According to a new study by Cancer Prevention Institute of California - a US-based non-profit organisation - consuming soy products may prove to be beneficial for some women diagnosed with breast cancer. Contrary to earlier belief, of soy raising the potential risk of breast cancer because of its estrogen-like properties that are found in isoflavones, this report paints a different picture. The new findings showed that soy foods not only prevent breast cancer but also benefit women who have breast cancer.

 

Women with breast cancer who consumed high amounts of isoflavones had a 21 per cent lower risk of dying than women who consumed low amounts.

"Our findings suggest that survival may be better in patients with a higher consumption of isoflavones," said lead author Esther John. Further, the effect was largely confined to women with hormone receptor-negative tumours and women who were not treated with anti-estrogen therapy such as tamoxifen, which blocks the effects of estrogen, reported the researchers.

"For women with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, soy food products may potentially have a protective effect. Women who did not receive endocrine therapy as a treatment for their breast cancer had a weaker, but still statistically significant, association," added Fang Fang Zhang from the Tufts University in Massachusetts, US.

 

For the study, the team looked at the relationship between dietary intake of isoflavones and death from any cause in 6235 American and Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer. The paper published in the journal CANCER.