While doctors once were hesitant about recommending soy products to breast cancer survivors, a new study shows that eating foods like soy milk, tofu, edamame, and miso soup can actually produce health benefits.
Published in the December 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found that breast cancer survivors who consumed a moderate amount of soy products had reduced risks of mortality and reoccurrence. Previously, soy was thought to increase the risk of cancer reoccurrence, since it can act like the hormone estrogen, which can promote tumor growth in breast cancers.
Dr. Xiao Ou Shu, the lead author of the paper, says that soy intake was a controversial subject, as some doctors advised women against it, while others maintained its safety.
“Our findings are important because, nowadays, it’s very difficult to avoid soy exposure,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “Soy flour and soy protein has been added to many foods in this country. Women may consume it and not even know it.”
Shu and her other researchers studied over 5,000 breast cancer survivors from China for an average of four years. They found that patients with the highest soy intake had a 29 percent lower risk of death, and a 32 percent lower risk of cancer reoccurrence.
However, the researchers cautioned that there may be differences in the Chinese population that may contribute to the results. Shu says it is important to note that Chinese women usually get their soy from natural sources like tofu, edamame, and unsweetened soy milk, while Americans take it in from processed sources like flavored soy milk or soy-based protein bars.
To gain the most benefits, Shu recommends eating natural soy rather than consuming it in its processed forms. She discourages women from stocking up on soy supplements, which haven’t been proven beneficial.
“Soy food intake has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and it may have cardiovascular benefit, so overall, whether or not you have cancer, soy could be very beneficial to you and could become an important component of a healthy diet," Shu told USA Today. "But try to get it in natural sources, not from processed food."
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