| There is currently a great interest in Phytoestrogens (from plant-based foods), which are thought to be the key factor in explaining the epidemiological variance of many hormone-dependent (oestrogen) diseases among menopausal women from different western populations. Epidemiological evidence shows a lower incidence of these diseases in populations consuming high intakes of soy and other plant-based foods. They may, therefore, be of preventative and therapeutic value in the incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, cognitive function and cardiovascular diseases, in which postmenopausal women have a similar mortality to men. Most recently reviewed data, supportive of these effects are from animal and in vitro studies, but clinical data are still in their infancy. |