soy protein and breast ca

It hasn't been proven to be harmful (or safe) for women with estrogen positive bc.  So, some women error on the side of caution and avoid it, and others continue to eat it.  Some only eat it in none processed form such as tofu.  I decided to give it up until there was more research to support it's use.

Cynthia 

My cousin is a dietitian in the oncology department, and she also advised me to avoid soy products because soy "acts" or "behaves" like a hormone or something (sorry, can't remember the terminology). Before I was diagnosed, soy has been part of my diet to help reduce cholesterol. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with cancer, but I've definitely avoided soy products, just to be sure.

Hope this helps.

God bless!

Aurora

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I've also been told no soy.  As a matter of fact, it was the only thing she said not to eat.

My best to all,

Di 

I also have heard from my doctors that adding even phytoestrogens isn't recommended. It was hard for me since I ate a lot of soy for years, not loving meat in general. But until more research is done I'm staying clear. In an American diet with so much dairy/chicken in it( which is another source of estrogens...), I doubt women eating in the US would get the full benefit that those in Asia seem to have regarding BC and soy. The Asian diet is so much healthier, being vegetable based....and provides general anti-cancer protection to whatever the soy may do.......

Moogie

I am ER-/PR-.  When I was DX, I was taking soy to help avoid menopause symptoms. 

My oncologist said since my cancer had no receptors for hormones, I could keep taking the the soy supplement.

It is my understanding that soy lecithin is o.k.  Has anyone else heard this?

Cynthia 

Thanks Rosemary...good to know (I think, lol). 

M. - I'll try to find out more about it in regard to use in ER+ women.  It IS in everything! 

Cynthia 

Rosemary - I've never heard of Bluebonnet so I'll have to check it out.  Thanks for the info.  I looked at my vitamins today and the only mention of soy is as a source of the Vit E.  I've been planning to change brands anyway because it contains iron and folic acid.  This is all so time consuming. 

Cynthia 

This whole soy issue has driven me NUTS.  Its a full time job TRYING to find anything that doesn't have *some* amount of soy in it!  I never realized till I was DX that just about everything has some soy in it.  What are we to do?! I use to read labels...but NOW I read ALL labels and I'm blown away by the amount of soy and other CRAP that's in all our food.  I'm having a hard time finding foods that are totally safe from soy.   My onc said they don't know for sure about soy but to stay away from it if I can. 

I never realized even the boxes of cereal have soy!  Most all the breads have some soy.  Its unbelievable.  I wish someone would have a store that was full of foods that promised to have NO SOY in it so I wouldn't have to rack my brain over this...its seriously exhausting to try to do all the right things. 

One last thing....Cynthia, we aren't suppose to have folic acid either?  I hadn't heard that one.    I just ordered some Women's GNC vitimans that had everything I needed in it but now that I read your post I see it has 400iu of folic acid in them.  Now what do I do?  I just ordered them online and they will be here.  I swear...we just can't win.  I need to research this folic acid issue as I am not aware of that one.  Thank goodness for this board because you learn so much.  Thanks to all.

Chelee

Here is a link to a clinical study that showed that folic acid might promote colon cancer.

http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20070605/folic-acid-may-not-avert-colon-cancer

and  http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/297/21/2351

More studies are needed, of course, and the trial participants took 1000mg of folic acid daily (which is an extremely high dose) so I'm sure I'm being overly cautious, but there's definitely something up with it.  I took a lot of folic acid while pregnant with my children (1200mcg the first 4 months) and then at least 800mcg after that until they weaned.  There's this as well:  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4078257.stm and this on wikipedia:

Most epidemiologic studies suggest that diets high in folate are associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, but results are not uniformly consistent: one large cancer screening trial reported a potential harmful effect of high folate intake on breast cancer risk, suggesting that routine folate supplementation should not be recommended as a breast cancer preventive,[43] but a 2007 Swedish prospective study found that a high folate intake was associated with a lower incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.[44]So the authorities are not really sure if this will work for cancer or not, (or the age at witch it is safe to start taking folate)but this will all become clear soon. 

It sounds as if it's safer to get it from our food, but who knows.  I would like to find a multivitamin without it, and take it as part of a B-complex  occasionally.   

Cynthia