Phytoestrogen food

Ask our Nurses your questions
1

Hi Im confused with phytoestrogen food, hope someone can help me.

I read that phytoestrogen food like flaxseed, soy should be limited but some said in moderation. However, broccoli, cauliflower, black beans, walnuts also have phytoestrogen but it seems to be encouraged to consume.

Can you give me advice as I find that as triple positive breast cancer taking tamoxifen (especially hormone sensitive) is a bit complicated and we need be careful on our food intake. Do your take Greek yogurt?

I have completed my treatment almost 1 year ago.

Thanks so much!

2

Hi. I’m interested to know about diet. My oncologist said I can eat absolutely anything as long as I limit alcohol and control my weight. No-one has suggested a special diet, but I know a lot of people research this and discuss it on here. I’m just trying to increase my fruits, vegetables, protein and reduce fats, UPFs and sugars. What are phytoestrogen foods and should I have been advised to limit them? :thinking:

1 Like
3

Just because some people say foods should be avoided or especially eaten, doesn’t make it true. Its ok to eat anything. Staying a healthy weight and fit is key but hard to maintain (especially when older) so a quick fix seems attractive. If you look too hard on the web, you can always find quacks to say otherwise, but their motives are money through click-bait, so beware of what is written or said.
Some supplements with phytoestrogens in high doses it’s advised to avoid by medics as they are in particularly high doses, but in everyday food quantities, they dont need to be avoided. I’m not a BCN but this is what I’ve been told off a BCN. Just as well really as I don’t eat meat, so tofu and other soya product probably feature more in my diet than most people’s, and I’m not about to change that.

4

Hi kimmy13

Thanks for posting.

Information about certain foods and breast cancer can often be conflicting, and confusing and as @entropy suggests some of the information found on the web may need to be treated with caution.

Many plant-based foods, such as some types of beans (including soy), nuts, seeds, peas, and a variety of fruits, vegetable and cereal products, contain phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant substances that have a chemical structure similar to the female hormone oestrogen, which is why there has been concern about its safety. But phytoestrogens are not the same thing as female hormones and don’t affect the body in the same way.

There isn’t any evidence to suggest a moderate amount of naturally occurring phytoestrogens in a person’s diet is harmful or that a diet containing moderate amounts of these foods affect a person’s cancer risk

However, the safety of supplements containing phytoestrogens is yet to be established, so it is important to speak with a health care professional before taking any supplements.

You may be interested in the information we produce about diet and breast cancer, and a healthy well-balanced diet and our recent video on questions and myths around diet and breast cancer may also be helpful.

British Dietetic Association (BDA) has information about soya products including a section on soya and cancer which may be of interest

We aren’t aware of any links between consuming diary products such as Greek yoghurt and an increased risk of recurrence. Diary products are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals which are important for health.

Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.

The number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties prefix our number with 18001 and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.

If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.

Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.

We will be closed on Wednesday 18 June for our staff conference.

Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.

We’re currently evaluating this service. If you’d like to provide feedback, please click the link to complete the survey . It should take approximately 10 minutes.

Best wishes

Julie

Breast Care Nurse

Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy

As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.