Soy Symposium Home

Scientific Program (Oral Abstracts) | Poster Abstracts | Speaker List

SECOND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON THE ROLE OF SOY
IN PREVENTING AND TREATING CHRONIC DISEASE

September 15-18, 1996
Brussells, Belgium

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
(Oral Abstracts)

Hormonal effects of Soy
Premenopausal Studies

Reductions in Steroid and Gastrointestinal Hormone Levels in Men and Premenopausal Women with Soya Consumption for One Month
Lu1, L.-J. W.1, Anderson, K.E.1, Nealon, W.2, and Nagamani, M.3
1Departments of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, 2Surgery, and 3Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1110.

Soybean consumption is associated with reduced rates of breast, prostate, and colon cancer, but the mechanisms are unknown. We examined effects of soya consumption on circulating steroids and hormones that may be biomarkers for risk of breast and prostate cancer. Subjects ingested a 12-oz portion of soymilk with each meal daily for one month on a metabolic unit. Females began soya ingestion within 6 days after onset of menses. Daily intakes were 100 mg daidzein/daidzin, 1000 mg genistein/genistin and 105 mg Bowman Birk protease inhibitor. In females, mean serum levels of 17B-estradiol, progesterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate decreased by 60%, 35%, and 20%, respectively after one month of soya ingestion. In males, levels of 17B-estradiol and testosterone were not affected, but levels of 3a, 17B- androstanediol glucuronide (a metabolite of dihydrotestosterone) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were decreased by 13% and 14%, respectively, after 2-4 weeks of daily soya ingestion. Postprandial (Lipomul-induced) increases in plasma cholecystokinin and pancreatic polypeptide in males were reduced in magnitude by up to 60% by soymilk ingestion. We conclude that soya consumption can affect hormones that regulate growth of neoplastic cells, and that this may account at least in part for decreased cancer risk in populations with high legume consumption.

Supported by USPHS CA56273, CA65628, CA45181, John Sealy Memorial Endowment Fund for Biomedical Research, American Institute for Cancer Research grant 95B119, and NIH NCRR GCRC grant M01 RR00073.

Soy Symposium Home http://soyfoods.com/symposium/
U.S. Soyfoods Directory Home http:soyfoods.com/




© Copyright 1997
Indiana Soybean Board