Dear Friends,

Here is the third of three SOY articles that
I've recently enjoyed, and find important
enough to share with you:

http://www.drkoop.com/dyncon/article.asp?at=&id=3735

Is soy safe?

Some quotes from the article, written
By Sharon Howard, R.D.

"Soy products contain five known classes
of anti-cancer agents, including
phytoestrogens. Natural soyfood sources
of phytoestrogens are recommended as part
of a therapeutic and prophylactic diet
instead of isoflavone supplements, because
the foods contain all the potential
anti-cancer agents ingested by apparently
protected populations of women with lower
rates of breast cancer."

Dr. Koop and Sharon looked to the soy-eating
Japanese and Chinese women to find truth:

"Studies of Chinese and Japanese women
indicate that they have one fifth the
rate of breast cancers of U.S. women
and that they consume from 10 to 50
grams per day of soy protein in contrast
to 1 to 3 grams per day consumed by
Americans. This translates to 20 to 80
milligrams of isoflavones consumed per
day by Asian women compared to U.S.
women whose intake is less than 5
milligrams per day."

Now for the real science, thanks to Koop.com:

"Isoflavones are very similar in structure
to estrogen and are able to bind estrogen
receptors, though they exhibit only a weak
estrogenic effect: only one-hundredth to
one-thousandth that of estradiol. Since
high levels of estrogen have been linked
to breast cancer and other hormone-related
cancers, isoflavones may work by binding
estrogen receptors and blocking the harmful
effects of the more potent form of estrogen,
thus functioning as an overall antiestrogen
(Claire Hasler, University of Illinois)."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com