What Are The Health Benefits Of Phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that mimic, although less intensely, natural estrogenic hormones and synthetic estrogens used in oral contraceptives. Most plant foods -- including grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and seeds -- contain them. Soybeans, flaxseed and red clover have especially high concentrations. Phytoestrogens biochemically resemble endocrine disruptors, widespread pollutants linked to numerous reproductive disorders. However, scientific evidence also points to some health benefits of phytoestrogens. Ask your doctor about the role of phytoestrogens in your personal nutrition.

Bone Health

Scientific evidence suggests phytoestrogens can protect bone health, especially through the prevention of osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder in which low bone mineral mass causes orthopedic problems such as fractures. Bones are not static. The body continuously deposits and reabsorbs new bone mineral, a process the hormone estrogen helps to regulate. Following menopause, with its drop in estrogen blood levels, women on phytoestrogen-poor diets are more prone to develop osteoporosis. However, osteoporosis is far more rare among women who eat phytoestrogen-rich diets, such as traditional Asian diets that focus upon soy foods like tofu.

Cardiovascular Health

In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said daily consumption of soy could protect against coronary artery disease. In 2007, the FDA decided to re-evaluate the data behind this claim. Some research has found a protective effect against certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure or hypertension, elevated body mass index and problematic blood lipid profiles. In the laboratory, phytoestrogens have observed favorable effects on the contraction of heart muscle cells.

Menopausal Symptoms

Many women dealing with menopause experience hot flashes and night sweats, some quite severe. Hormone replacement therapy consisting chiefly of synthetic estrogen was widely prescribed for these symptoms until it was associated with heightened breast cancer risk. Whether consumed as part of the diet or taken as supplement pills, natural remedies for menopausal symptoms such as soy, red clover and alfalfa have since gained in popularity. The evidence for their effectiveness is mixed. Asian women who eat traditional diets may enjoy, among other health benefits, less vulnerability to hot flashes and night sweats following menopause.

Cancer Prevention

A number of epidemiological studies -- research on large-scale patterns of disease --indicate that certain phytoestrogens called isoflavonoids may contribute to lower rates of colon, prostate and breast cancers. The possible association between breast cancer prevention and phytoestrogens is the most studied of these, yet the research remains somewhat inconclusive. It is clear that women eating traditionally soy-rich Asian diets have less breast cancer than other populations. However, if they immigrate to Western countries, their daughters and granddaughters, who are more likely to eat phytoestrogen-poor Western diets, have similar breast cancer rates to those of the adopted nations.