Is Soybean Really Increasing Breast Cancer Risk?

Medical Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: Does Soy Increase Breast Cancer Risk?

Patients or survivor Breast cancer may be afraid to eat foods made from soybeans, such as tofu, tempeh, and soy milk. The content of phytoestrogens in soybeans that are similar to estrogen is feared to have the same effect on breast cancer. However, is it true that soy increases the risk of breast cancer or vice versa?

How is the origin of soy linked to breast cancer?

Phytoestrogens or also known as isoflavones in soybeans have a structure similar to estrogen, where estrogen is a hormone in the body which is one of the risk factors for breast cancer. The impact of phytoestrogens on the body is not fully understood, phytoestrogens can act like weak estrogen in certain situations, but can also inhibit the action of estrogen.

Phytoestrogens are similar to estrogen but are weaker. Estrogen in the body is much stronger than phytoestrogens in soybeans to be a risk factor for breast cancer. So, weak phytoestogens may not be able to replace estrogen as a risk factor for breast cancer.

A study shows that a high-soy diet does not increase the risk of breast cancer, it can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Research involving 73,000 women in China showed that women who mechanized at least 13 grams of soy protein every day as much as 1-2 servings had an 11% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who consumed soy protein less than 5 grams per day.

We can also see directly on Asians. Asians who are accustomed to eating soy foods have a lower risk of breast cancer, said Marleen Meyers, MD, director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center Survivorship Program at NYU Langone Medical Center, reported by WebMD.

Another study conducted by Cancer Research UK, the National Cancer Institute of the USA, and the National University of Singapore in 2002 also proved that consumption of soybeans does not increase the risk of breast cancer. This study links the consumption of soybeans and their effects on breast tissue. The results showed that women with a high-soy diet had lower dense breast tissue compared to women with a low-soy diet. Higher dense breast tissue is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

So, you don't need to avoid consuming soybeans to prevent breast cancer. Until now, soybeans have not been shown to actually increase the risk of breast cancer. For those of you who have breast cancer or have had breast cancer, you also don't need to stop consuming soybeans and foods made from soybeans.

Eat moderate amounts of soybeans

Eating soy does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer, but consumption of high amounts of soy is also not good. Although some studies also prove that soy can inhibit the development of breast cancer, you should still consume moderate amounts of soybeans.

A study published by Journal of the National Cancer Institute year 2014 shows that consuming high amounts of soy supplements can activate genes that can promote cancer growth in women with early-stage breast cancer. If you have breast cancer, you can still eat soybeans but in moderation, as said Jacqueline Bromberg, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher in this study.

Some experts worry that consumption of high amounts of soybeans (obtained from soy supplements) in cancer patients can interfere with breast cancer drugs that function to reduce estrogen levels, such as tamoxifen. However, research also shows that soybeans can protect breast cancer patients who take tamoxifen drugs - from recurrence.

Therefore, to prevent various unwanted risks, you should consume moderate amounts of soybeans. Experts recommend eating only moderate amounts of soybeans or about 1-2 servings per day. Example of one portion of soybeans, namely:

One glass of soy milk
28 grams of soybeans
85 grams of tofu
Half a glass of edamame is cooked

Conclusion

You who are healthy, have breast cancer (including those with estrogen positive receptors), or have recovered from breast cancer do not need to stop consuming soybeans and foods made from soybeans, such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and others. You can still enjoy soybeans because soy is not proven to increase the risk of breast cancer.

However, you should consume moderate amounts of soybeans. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, consumption of moderate amounts of soybeans (1-2 servings per day) will not increase the risk of breast cancer, it can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

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