can we talk about soy...again?

Hi all:

I am ER+ and have tried to avoid soy like the plague.  But, yesterday, when I attended the LBBC conference on advanced BC, both the nutritionis and the CAM onc said that 1) soy is almost impossible to totally eliminate due to its appearance in so many foods and 2) should make no difference to ER+ people if eaten in moderation.  I don't know if this helps anyone, or just muddy's the waters even further but that's the soy news that came out of the conference.

Robin 

OH,

I am with you. I hedge my bets. I eat some soy, not every day not every week, tofu, tempeh, yogurt. I drink almond milk and sometimes organic yogurt.  If only we knew. I do know the head of the cancer institute told me soy is okay and everything I have read says it is the fractionated soy (the junk they put in everything) that is to be avoided.

I love your saying - "Why did the patient go thru treatment ?"  That is exactly how I used to think of the many surgeries, etc. Tomorrow I will be on the other side of whatever it was I was facing at the time.

Joanne 

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any information, about the Energy drinks like, Ensure or Prosure, I was reading the contents, and it does say, soy oil, soy  protein.  How much is not good.

I appreciate any feedback on this.

Thanks

Mem Sloan Kettering dietitian and my (pretty open-minded) chemo oncologist told me 2 servings of soy or flax is okay/week for ER+ women. But to be careful, in particular, of protein bars many of which have soy as their source of protein. 

Btw, I had been guzzling soymilk the two years before my cancer developed. I have switched to a whey protein drink. 

Sorry this isn't scientific or evidence-based! Just my two cents.

Hi there. I'm agreeing that it is NOT good to drink those soy protein drinks. Personally, I drink some milk, I eat yougurt and once in a while some cottage cheese. I try to eat & drink things with as few and identifiable ingredients as possible. I eat some junk sometimes, but try to eat as much broccoli as I can stand. I think sardines, salmon, tuna sometimes, tofu. tempeh, clean meat in small amounts are all ok; flax, broccoli cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, all veggies ( I avoid potatoes except sweet ones), berries are good, gren tea, white tea, water w/lemon. I've been enjoying moki for my sweet tooth. I get it at a large health food store & prepare & eat it with jams or honey or nuts - best nuts are: pumpkin, sunflower, walnuts. I also eat almonds. macadamia. I just started drinking citrus after being off it.

Again, I can't say enough about Patrick Quillen's book, How To Beat Cancer with Nutrition.

Most importantly for me, I feed my lions - and allow myself Ben & Jerry's once in a while, or some good dark chocolate or whatever junk my kids are eating that entices me. I try to feed my lions lest they consume me (and I would pig out royally).

joanne-elizabeth, thanks for the appreciation about getting to the other side. I was feeling like I would never get there recently. But I met for a pre op with the Plastic surgeon today. I have to trust that his skills surpass his manner. I'm getting ready for the BIG mast w/DIEP surgery May 28, and as nervous as I am, I can't wait to get through it! After that, all I'll have is rads & then the bulk of treatments should be behind me - oh be still my heart!

Allyson, yum to those compressed seed/nut bars. I love the ones with sesame, honey & flax. I can't stay away from those.

These conversations about getting/being/staying healthy are so positively helpful.

Thank you all!

I missed this - what did Mamnop say about soy?

I do read that a drink a day increases your risk however so I avoid alcohol. It is too bad they don't fund retrospective studies to put the soy/flaxseed controvery to rest.  Today I read they think black cohosh may be beneficial.  Ugh, every day a different theory.

Joanne 

Yes, this topic does get kicked around quite a bit. I think even the docs are confused. Some say soy is okay and others say to stay away from it. From my very own personal research, this is what I learned:

Soy is a weak plant estrogen. When you eat soy, the weak soy estrogen "jumps" onto the estrogen receptor that your normal body estrogen would have taken. This knocks your normal estrogen out of its place, which, to me, is a good thing. This weak estrogen keeps the stronger estrogen from being able to access its "home". I would rather my body have the weaker plant estrogen than the stronger one produced by my body. I eat soy. My daughter, also a cancer survivor, eats soy. I eat raw soy beans for the genestine provides...which is a cancer fighter. I even create a handmade soy milk soap that I love. I am on the side of the docs who say it won't harm you, but we all have to make the decision we are most comfortable with.

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Where is the cure

www.truefacesofbreastcancer.org

That is a good question. I think it comes from studying Asian populations who have very low bc rates.  I keep reading it is the fractionated soy that they put into everything from supplements to cereal to ketchup which is harmful to you, not whole soy which is in tofu, edaname  and tempeh.  A cancer nutritionist also said the Asians eat fermented soy such as miso and tempeh.

Joanne