By Paula McGill
When it comes to cancer prevention, the phytoestrogens are the business end of soy. As you'll recall, phytoestroogens compete with estrogens produced in the body or introduced from the environment (xenoestrogens) and prevent them from activating estrogen receptors. The cells that make up the breasts, uterus, and prostate gland are very sensitive to estrogen levels and are packed with estrogen receptors. A soy-rich diet provides just enough isoflavones to lessen the chances of developing hormone-related cancers, without the excessive amounts that could affect masculinity or reproduction. It's not surprising, that countries with a high intake of soy tend to have very low rates of hormone-influenced cancers. The antioxidant abilities of the isoflavones cannot be discounted as a cancer-preventing tool used by the soybean. Genistein and daidzein disarm free radicals that would otherwise trigger cellular mutations. These isoflavones also boost levels of some of the body's own antioxidants. Another weapon in soy's anticancer arsenal involves angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood vessels. Under normal circumstances, new blood vessels are formed only during limited times: ovulation, pregnancy and wound healing. Angiogenesis steps into high gear when a cancerous tumor starts growing in the body. Large amounts of new blood vessels are needed to feed the enlarging tumor and to shuttle away its waste products. Isoflavones help to prevent this angiogenic process during cancer development.
Does soy have any other anticancer embeds?
Isoflavones can prevent cancer in even more ways. Cancerous tumors are made up of undifferentiated cells. Differentiation is the process that tells a cell to be a heart cell, nerve cell, and so on. Without differentiation, a cell does not have a clearly defined ''job description," which may result in uncontrolled cancerous growth. The isoflavones in soy prevent cancer by encouraging cancer cells to differentiate into normal, healthy cells. It is also likely that the isoflavones arrest the spread of cancer by blocking an enzyme called tyrosine protein kinase, which cancerous cells use during their unhealthy, accelerated growth.
Can soy play a role after cancer has taken hold?
First, it must be noted that all of the research in this area is in a very preliminary stage. But dentists have noticed that certain humors have a drug resistance that acts as a pump within the cancer cells to expel anticancer drugs before they can eradicate the cancer. Greg Peterson, Ph.D., and Stephen Barnes, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham have demonstrated that genistein, ''... and the isoflavones, in general, may be immune to the multidrug resistance phenomena." In effect, the isoflavones, in some difficult to treat cancer cases, may be one of the only treatments that the tumor is not able to resist. But again this potential benefit of soy requires further research for confirmation.
Why do vegetarians tend to have lower rates of cancer?
Using soy foods in place of some or all of a diet's meat and dairy produce twitch contain substances that initiate or promote cancer) may explain some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Why? First, soybeans are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants and phytoestrogens. Second, a vegetarian diet is much lower in total fat and saturated fat. Finally substituting meat with soy-based dishes boosts fiber intake, and high-fiber diets have been shown to protect against several cancers, including breast and colon cancer. Relax you don't have to become a complete vegetarian to garner benefits. Replacing some servings of meat or dairy products with soy foods can give you some measure of protection. Even so, the more you base your diet on low-fat, high-fiber, soy-rich cuisine, the greater your cancer protection will be.
When it comes to cancer prevention, the phytoestrogens are the business end of soy. As you'll recall, phytoestroogens compete with estrogens produced in the body or introduced from the environment (xenoestrogens) and prevent them from activating estrogen receptors. The cells that make up the breasts, uterus, and prostate gland are very sensitive to estrogen levels and are packed with estrogen receptors. A soy-rich diet provides just enough isoflavones to lessen the chances of developing hormone-related cancers, without the excessive amounts that could affect masculinity or reproduction. It's not surprising, that countries with a high intake of soy tend to have very low rates of hormone-influenced cancers. The antioxidant abilities of the isoflavones cannot be discounted as a cancer-preventing tool used by the soybean. Genistein and daidzein disarm free radicals that would otherwise trigger cellular mutations. These isoflavones also boost levels of some of the body's own antioxidants. Another weapon in soy's anticancer arsenal involves angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood vessels. Under normal circumstances, new blood vessels are formed only during limited times: ovulation, pregnancy and wound healing. Angiogenesis steps into high gear when a cancerous tumor starts growing in the body. Large amounts of new blood vessels are needed to feed the enlarging tumor and to shuttle away its waste products. Isoflavones help to prevent this angiogenic process during cancer development.
Does soy have any other anticancer embeds?
Isoflavones can prevent cancer in even more ways. Cancerous tumors are made up of undifferentiated cells. Differentiation is the process that tells a cell to be a heart cell, nerve cell, and so on. Without differentiation, a cell does not have a clearly defined ''job description," which may result in uncontrolled cancerous growth. The isoflavones in soy prevent cancer by encouraging cancer cells to differentiate into normal, healthy cells. It is also likely that the isoflavones arrest the spread of cancer by blocking an enzyme called tyrosine protein kinase, which cancerous cells use during their unhealthy, accelerated growth.
Can soy play a role after cancer has taken hold?
First, it must be noted that all of the research in this area is in a very preliminary stage. But dentists have noticed that certain humors have a drug resistance that acts as a pump within the cancer cells to expel anticancer drugs before they can eradicate the cancer. Greg Peterson, Ph.D., and Stephen Barnes, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham have demonstrated that genistein, ''... and the isoflavones, in general, may be immune to the multidrug resistance phenomena." In effect, the isoflavones, in some difficult to treat cancer cases, may be one of the only treatments that the tumor is not able to resist. But again this potential benefit of soy requires further research for confirmation.
Why do vegetarians tend to have lower rates of cancer?
Using soy foods in place of some or all of a diet's meat and dairy produce twitch contain substances that initiate or promote cancer) may explain some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Why? First, soybeans are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants and phytoestrogens. Second, a vegetarian diet is much lower in total fat and saturated fat. Finally substituting meat with soy-based dishes boosts fiber intake, and high-fiber diets have been shown to protect against several cancers, including breast and colon cancer. Relax you don't have to become a complete vegetarian to garner benefits. Replacing some servings of meat or dairy products with soy foods can give you some measure of protection. Even so, the more you base your diet on low-fat, high-fiber, soy-rich cuisine, the greater your cancer protection will be.
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