Soy Lowers Endometrial Cancer Risk

Previous research has shown that soy may lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and prevent certain cancers. Now research reports that soy may also reduce the risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining).

The population based case-control study, published in the British Medical Journal (2004, vol. 328), investigated whether high soy intake was linked to a reduced risk of edometrial cancer in Chinese women. Researchers from Shanghai Cancer Institute in Shanghai, China compared the soy protein intake of 832 Chinese women with endometrial cancer, diagnosed between 1997-2001, and 846 healthy control women. Food frequency questionnaires obtained from the participants were analyzed to determine their soy intake and other nutritional levels.

Researchers found that soy-protein intake was inversely associated with the risk of endometrial cancer. Participants with soy protein, soy isoflavones, and soy fiber intake in the highest quarter had a 33 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer than those in the lowest quarter. Findings also revealed that this association seemed to be more pronounced among overweight women.

"Regular intake of soy foods is associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer," the study authors conclude.