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» The Importance of Estrogen
» A Dietary Connection
» Safe, Natural Dietary Approach
» What are the dietary sources of isoflavones?
The Importance of Estrogen
Estrogens play a vital role in maintaining a woman's health and well-being over her
lifetime. Around the age of 35, a woman's own production of estrogens may slow.
This is a challenging time for many women and the maintenance of lifestyle, well-being
and normal body function is important to the enjoyment of this stage of life. The
effects of giving supplemental estrogens are well known. They help relieve the symptoms
of menopause, maintain healthy bones, as well as healthy cholesterol levels. They
maintain arterial wall elasticity, the feel and appearance of the skin, normal mood
and emotions, and the ability to concentrate.
A Dietary Connection
If estrogens are so important to a woman's health, why would nature purposely deprive
the body of them?
The incidence of acute menopausal symptoms and long term post menopausal bone and
heart health issues are far greater in women in Australia, New Zealand, North America,
Canada and Western Europe compared to women in Asian, Central American and Mediterranean
countries.
Scientific research suggests that the answers may lie in our diet. Nature didn't
get it wrong. Many of us in the West changed our diet away from the type of diet
our ancestors ate--the same type of diet typically still eaten in Asian, Central
American, and Mediterranean countries. A key factor in traditional Eastern diets
is that they contain greater quantities of legumes which are rich in a group of
phytestrogens (plant estrogens) called isoflavones.
These isoflavones are able to mimic the effects of estrogens because their structures
are remarkably close to those of human estrogens and the body accepts them as such.
When estrogen levels start to decline, a woman can feel very unlike her normal self.
Safe, Natural Dietary Approach
Asian, Mediterranean and Latin American communities consume on average 30-50mg of
isoflavones each day while it is estimated that women from Western countries, such
as Australia, consume only a few milligrams of isoflavones daily1. Asian
type diets have traditionally included legumes rich in isoflavones such as lentils
and soy. Legumes are a major source of protein in these countries while meat and
dairy products have become a major source of protein in Western diet. Studies now
indicate a role for diet in reducing menopausal symptoms, particularly an Asian
diet abundant in isoflavones 2, 3. |
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1. Rekers H. Burger HG, Boulet MJ, editors.
A Portrait of Menopause. Parkridge, New Jersey: The Parthenon Publishing Group;
1991; p. 23-43.
2. Ismael NN. A study on the menopause in Malaysia. Maturitas 1994;19(3):205-9.
3. Tang GW. The climacteric of Chinese factory workers. Maturitas 1994;19(3):177-82.
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Women from countries with diets rich in isoflavones, such as Asia, experience fewer
hot flashes during menopause.
More than 1,000 isoflavones have been identified in plants. Of these,
four specific isoflavones have been shown to possess significant individual and
specific biological activity. These are: genistein, daidzein, formonentin and biochanin
A.
What are the dietary sources of isoflavones?
Isoflavones are found mainly in legumes, such as red clover, lentils, split peas,
chick peas, broad beans and soy. However, not all legumes contain all four important
isoflavones. For example, red clover contains all four isoflavones whereas soy contains
only the two isoflavones daidzein and genistein. The isoflavone content of food
also varies, for example red clover also contains 10 to 20 times the quantity of
isoflavones found in soy. |
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