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Found in many plants and with estrogen-like effects, phytoestrogens are considered to bring a lot of benefits to human health. So what is phytoestrogen and what foods are phytoestrogens in?
1. What is phytoestrogen?
Phytoestrogens are a group of naturally occurring compounds found in many plants, including tofu, soybeans, and flaxseeds. Phytoestrogens have a similar structure to the hormone estrogen, so they have many health benefits, especially for women. Currently, there have been studies showing that, with increasing age, women have to face many problems such as: sagging breasts, enlarged vagina, poor metabolism... Providing an appropriate amount of phytoestrogens will overcome these limitations. Not only that, phytoestrogens also work to slow down the aging process, help strengthen bones, and limit the risk of heart disease in both men and women.
Currently phytoestrogens have 4 main families including:
Isoflavones: Isoflavones are the phytoestrogens that have been studied the most. The food group containing isoflavones is often found in the legume family, most notably soybeans. Lignan: Lignan is found in foods such as flaxseeds, wheat, vegetables, strawberries... Coumestan: Currently, foods containing coumestan are often found in beets and bean sprouts. Stilbene: Stilbene is often found in nuts and seeds. Because the chemical structure of phytoestrogens is quite similar to that of estrogen, the two substances have similar modes of action and both provide many health benefits.
2. What effect do phytoestrogens have on women?
Phytoestrogens should be supplemented in women entering the age of about 40 or perimenopause. This helps the body get many benefits such as:
2.1 Reduce hot flashes Hot flashes often occur in menopausal women, so to improve this condition, women are advised to take phytoestrogens . This advice is the result of a study done in 2014 that showed phytoestrogens reduced the frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women without serious side effects.
2.2 Prevent osteoporosis Due to the lack of estrogen after menopause, women often face osteoporosis at this age. Meanwhile, phytoestrogens are evaluated as a natural alternative to help limit and slow the process of osteoporosis in women.
2.3 Solve menstrual problems When estrogen levels drop, it can affect mood and body energy. During this time, women are advised to eat more foods rich in phytoestrogens to balance hormone levels and reduce symptoms of menstrual disorders.
2.4 Acne Support Acne support is also one of the great benefits of phytoestrogens. When entering the body, phytoestrogens help reduce acne by rebalancing hormone levels. However, this claim is still conjecture and scientists need more studies to evaluate its effectiveness.
2.5 Fight against breast cancer Breast cancer is now a common disease with a high rate of young people. There have been some claims that phytoestrogens are beneficial in fighting hormonal cancers, typically breast cancer.
Another study also found that consuming soy foods reduced the risk of breast cancer death and recurrence. However, whether it can fight breast cancer cells or not depends largely on a woman's menopause stage. Therefore, more research needs to be done on this issue to draw definitive conclusions.
2.6 Good for Heart Health Phytoestrogens are effective in supporting heart health, treating certain conditions that affect the arteries, and improving heart health in postmenopausal women.
This is also one of the great effects that phytoestrogens bring to women.
Not only that, phytoestrogens are inherently good for menopausal women, so they also help improve the state of decreased sex drive, tender breasts, fatigue...
3. What should be noted when supplementing with phytoestrogens?
Although there are many health benefits, this does not mean that phytoestrogens are completely safe. In the process of use also has some potential risks such as: increasing the risk of obesity, cancer and fertility problems...
This 2010 study showed that high soy content in the diet of Women can affect the ovaries. Therefore, a diet rich in vegetables is considered healthy, and many plant foods contain phytoestrogens.
However, more research is still needed to fully understand how phytoestrogens work. So the best way is when you intend to supplement with phytoestrogens or any other substance, actively discuss with your doctor before starting use. This not only helps bring good and safe results, but also minimizes unnecessary risks to health.
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