Beneficial Effects of Soy Isoflavones on Prostate Cancer, Still Unclear

Intake of isoflavone chemicals from soy food has been found to decrease the risk of localized prostate cancer but increased the risk of advanced prostate cancer.

Such were the contradicting results of the largest that evaluated the relationship between the traditional soy-rich Japanese diet and development of prostate cancer in Japanese men.

Indicative that the beneficial effects of soy isoflavones is dependent on the stage of prostate cancer.

Japanese men have a significantly high-soy food diet throughout their life, compared to western men.

Another contradiction to this study is that the protective effect of isoflavone-rich food was strongest in men who were older than 60 and may not have a protective effect in the early stage of prostate cancer in younger men.

While the preventive effects of isoflavone chemicals is still unclear (needing more human clinical trials), supplementation of the chemical is still not recommended, according to the researchers.

Study results are published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Find more details from the full report.

[article abstract]