effects of a commercially available soy drink containing 10–60 mg/d dose of
isoflavones for 12 weeks on the cognitive function and menopausal symptoms in
postmenopausal women. The authors reported no change in the cognitive function
but significant reduction in the vasomotor symptoms in subjects with severe symptoms at baseline.
1.4.7 In Bone Health
Zhang et al. (2005) conducted a prospective cohort study in Shanghai to investigate
the efficacy of soy food consumption among 24,403 postmenopausal women, and
the results revealed that consumption of soy protein (>10 g/d) was associated with
almost one-third reduction in the fracture risk in the subjects. Similar results were
reported in the postmenopausal women participating in the Singaporean study
wherein 63,257 Chinese adults (45–72 years) were studied. However, Levis et al.
(2011) and Tai et al. (2012) did not find any positive effect.
1.4.8 Anticarcinogenic Activities
Numerous experimental models have revealed the anticancer activity of soy-based
diets and its bioactive compounds (Zhou et al. 1999; Mentor-Marcel et al. 2001;
Trottier et al. 2010; Zuniga et al. 2013). The consumption of foods rich in soy
isoflavones is associated with reduction in the occurrence and mortality of breast
cancer (Valachovicova et al. 2004; He and Chen 2013; Applegate et al. 2018).
Applegate et al. (2018) conducted a meta-analysis and reported that soy foods and
their isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) resulted in the reduction of prostate cancer
(PCa) risk. Soy isoflavones are assumed to effect PCa aggression through various
pathways such as inhibition of tumor growth factor signalling (Wang et al. 2003),
cell cycle inhibition (Zhou et al. 1999), metastasis (Pavese et al. 2014), and
anti-angiogenesis (Fotsis et al. 1993; Guo et al. 2007). Yu et al. (2016) performed
a meta-analysis of 17 epidemiological studies consisting of 13 case controls and
4 prospective cohort studies to investigate the association between colorectal cancer
(CRC) risk and soy isoflavone consumption in humans. The study revealed that
intake of soy foods containing soy isoflavones by Asian population in the casecontrol studies resulted in a decreased CRC risk. It is believed that soy isoflavones
can exert the antitumor effects via their roles in antioxidation, DNA repair, antagonism of estrogen- and androgen-mediated signalling pathways, inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis, and potentiation of radio- and chemotherapeutic agents (Bilir
et al. 2017; Mahmoud et al. 2014).
As discussed above the consumption of soy products rich in isoflavones has been
associated with decreased cancer risks, but in the recent times, some studies have
raised concerns on the deleterious health effects of isoflavones, predominantly on the
1 Soybean (Glycine max)
2 1
isoflavones for 12 weeks on the cognitive function and menopausal symptoms in
postmenopausal women. The authors reported no change in the cognitive function
but significant reduction in the vasomotor symptoms in subjects with severe symptoms at baseline.
1.4.7 In Bone Health
Zhang et al. (2005) conducted a prospective cohort study in Shanghai to investigate
the efficacy of soy food consumption among 24,403 postmenopausal women, and
the results revealed that consumption of soy protein (>10 g/d) was associated with
almost one-third reduction in the fracture risk in the subjects. Similar results were
reported in the postmenopausal women participating in the Singaporean study
wherein 63,257 Chinese adults (45–72 years) were studied. However, Levis et al.
(2011) and Tai et al. (2012) did not find any positive effect.
1.4.8 Anticarcinogenic Activities
Numerous experimental models have revealed the anticancer activity of soy-based
diets and its bioactive compounds (Zhou et al. 1999; Mentor-Marcel et al. 2001;
Trottier et al. 2010; Zuniga et al. 2013). The consumption of foods rich in soy
isoflavones is associated with reduction in the occurrence and mortality of breast
cancer (Valachovicova et al. 2004; He and Chen 2013; Applegate et al. 2018).
Applegate et al. (2018) conducted a meta-analysis and reported that soy foods and
their isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) resulted in the reduction of prostate cancer
(PCa) risk. Soy isoflavones are assumed to effect PCa aggression through various
pathways such as inhibition of tumor growth factor signalling (Wang et al. 2003),
cell cycle inhibition (Zhou et al. 1999), metastasis (Pavese et al. 2014), and
anti-angiogenesis (Fotsis et al. 1993; Guo et al. 2007). Yu et al. (2016) performed
a meta-analysis of 17 epidemiological studies consisting of 13 case controls and
4 prospective cohort studies to investigate the association between colorectal cancer
(CRC) risk and soy isoflavone consumption in humans. The study revealed that
intake of soy foods containing soy isoflavones by Asian population in the casecontrol studies resulted in a decreased CRC risk. It is believed that soy isoflavones
can exert the antitumor effects via their roles in antioxidation, DNA repair, antagonism of estrogen- and androgen-mediated signalling pathways, inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis, and potentiation of radio- and chemotherapeutic agents (Bilir
et al. 2017; Mahmoud et al. 2014).
As discussed above the consumption of soy products rich in isoflavones has been
associated with decreased cancer risks, but in the recent times, some studies have
raised concerns on the deleterious health effects of isoflavones, predominantly on the
1 Soybean (Glycine max)
2 1