Greater soy consumption associated with lower breast cancer risk in women

An article published in the latest issue of the journal Nutrition and Cancer (volume 60, issue 5) revealed the finding of Korean researchers of a protective effect of soy on the risk of developing breast cancer. The study’s conclusion supports that of previous research concerning soy’s effect on breast cancer risk.

Scientists at Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea compared 362 women diagnosed with breast cancer with an equal number of healthy women matched for age and menopausal status. Participants were interviewed concerning their diets, which included tofu, soybean paste, boiled soybeans and soy milk. Total soy protein intake was used as a measure of total soy food consumption.

Compared with women who did not have breast cancer, those who were diagnosed with the disease were likelier to consume more carbohydrates and less likely to drink alcohol or use multivitamin supplements. Women with breast cancer also had fewer children. High soy protein intake was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Among premenopausal women whose intake of soy protein was among the top 20 percent of participants, there was a 61 percent lower adjusted risk of breast cancer compared with those in the lowest 20 percent. For postmenopausal women, the risk experienced by the highest soy protein intake group was 78 percent lower, although the dose-response relationship observed in premenopausal women was not noted in this group. When tofu consumption was separately analyzed, it emerged as protective for premenopausal women only, with those in the top fifth of tofu intake having a 77 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those in the lowest. Continue Reading