More Soy Against Colon Cancer

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Women who drink soy drinks, eat tofu and prefer soy to cow's milk may help reduce their risk of colon cancer, new research suggests.

Those, especially in their 50s, who consume a lot of soy can significantly reduce their risk of developing the disease, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers, who studied the diet and health of 68,412 women between the ages of 40 and 70 in Shanghai, concluded: After specifying age, calendar year of birth, and total energy intake, food intake from soy is significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer. We found that the risk of colon cancer decreases with increasing soy intake, mainly among postmenopausal women. The risk decreases by more than 30% among women who have been in the first group in terms of the amount of soy food consumed compared to the women who were in the last group in terms of soy food intake,”say the authors from Vanderbilt University.

Colon cancer is the second deadliest disease among women in the UK, after breast cancer, killing 16,600 each year, and accounts for 1 in 10 cases of cancer among women.

Experts from the World Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) say the results are outstanding. According to them, "These findings are exciting because it is a carefully conducted study in which participants consume soy food at different levels. This means that it is possible to understand how soy affects the risk of cancer. The study shows that the risk of cancer of the colon decreases with increasing soy intake, and this is especially true in postmenopausal women."

These findings may explain the fact that far fewer people in countries such as China and Japan, where soy is a staple in the diet, develop colon cancer than in Western countries, where soy consumption is low.

Soybeans are eaten whole by boiling in salt water, while soy is generally a widely used term, for example as an alternative to dairy products in products such as milk, yogurt and cream, cheese. There is also a niche market for soy supplements for those who are convinced of their health properties. Soy also helps lower cholesterol levels.

However, the researchers would like to see results that are repeated among non-Asian women with different genetic backgrounds, different lifestyles than those who participated in the study, before being able to give advice on the health of the basis of new research. If we can confirm these findings, it will mean that products like tofu and soybeans in women's diets will be something positive that women could do to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

The best way to prevent cancer is to eat plant-based foods without a lot of salt and alcohol, be physically active and maintain a healthy weight.”