We show that Japanese-style fermented soy sauce (shoyu) contains anticarcinogenic activity. Female ICR mice were fed a semipurified diet containing soy sauce (0-30%). Two weeks later a regimen consisting of 4 doses of benzo(a)pyrene (1 dose/week p.o. for 4 weeks) was begun to initiate forestomach neoplasia. Twenty-three weeks after the first intubation the animals were sacrificed, and forestoma...

The contribution of calories from nutrient-poor snack foods is rising in many Western diets, possibly contributing to the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Soy offers unique potential to provide high quality protein, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals to snack foods to produce a more healthful nutritional profile. In this study, 27.3% of wheat flour was replaced with soy ingredients...

Over the past 2 decades, soy foods have been the subject of a vast amount of research, primarily because they are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones. Isoflavones are classified as both phytoestrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators. The phytoestrogenic effects of isoflavones have led some to view soy foods and isoflavone supplements as alternatives to conventional hormone therapy. ...

BACKGROUND Since it has been demonstrated that soy diet can improve endothelial function, in the present study we evaluated the effect of dietary substitution of 25 g of animal proteins with soy proteins on endothelial dysfunction in renal transplant patients. METHODS In 20 renal transplant patients (55 +/- 11 years, serum creatinine 1.7 +/- 0.6 mg/dl), brachial artery flow mediated dilation ...

BACKGROUND Early-life soy phytoestrogen exposure has been shown in Eker rats to increase uterine fibroid incidence in adulthood. Two large epidemiologic cohorts have provided some support for increased fibroid risk with infant soy formula feeding in women, but both cohorts relied on self-report of clinically diagnosed fibroids. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the relationship between infant soy formul...

The influence of soy-protein diet on brain lipid peroxidation in female rats was studied using a tail-suspension model of weightlessness. The study tested the efficacy of diets containing 0% or 11.1% soy-protein in 4 groups of female Sprague Dawley rats that were maintained with or without tail-suspension for a period of 3 weeks. At term, the whole brain was removed, segmented, and analyzed for...

Consumption of soy protein has been associated with altered risk of developing endocrine-regulated cancers. This study was designed to assess the independent effect of soy relative to animal protein and soy-derived isoflavones on circulating estrogen and androgen concentrations in postmenopausal women and older men. Forty-two subjects (> 50 yr) with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of...

RATIONALE The decline in estrogen concentrations in women after menopause can contribute to health related changes including impairments in cognition, especially memory. Because of the health concerns related to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), alternative approaches to treat menopausal symptoms, such as nutritional supplements and/or diet containing isoflavones, are of interest. OBJECTIVES...

Seaweed and soy foods are consumed daily in Japan, where breast cancer rates for postmenopausal women are significantly lower than in the West. Likely mechanisms include differences in diet, especially soy consumption, and estrogen metabolism. Fifteen healthy postmenopausal women participated in this double-blind trial of seaweed supplementation with soy challenge. Participants were randomized ...

The effectiveness of soy isoflavones to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women is controversial. While consumption of soy in Vietnam is very high, we recently reported a prevalence of osteoporosis comparable to that of many Western populations. In the present study, we analyzed the isoflavone content of soy drink products commercially available in Vietnam and Sweden, and we also compared the...