Phytoestrogens are supposed to prevent ageing. But can a woman who has developed breast cancer take them at all? Or even: doesn't taking phytoestrogens increase the risk of developing breast cancer in healthy women?
Subhuti Dharmananda is a recognised TCM specialist from the USA, who also has a broad knowledge of biochemistry. The following text is taken from an informal email correspondence with Severin Bühlmann:
The term phytoestrogens is often misleading and the belief, they protect women from some problems such as aging. aging is possibly misplaced. The term combines the origin of chemical substances from plants from plants (= phyto) on the one hand and from animals (oestrogen) on the other. This should suggest that the plant substances, when ingested, act like oestrogen, act like oestrogen. In herbal medicine, two types of substances are subsumed under this term: Those that have a chemical structure similar to that of oestrogen, mainly a steroidal a steroidal structure and those that have a different structure, structure but which have the reputation of behaving like oestrogen or stimulate the production of oestrogen.
If you look at the chemical structure of, for example, cholesterol, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, for example, you can see that they differ differ from each other only by small appendages on the steroid scaffold. from each other. However, these small differences make a big clinical big difference clinically. The difference between the plant between plant steroids and animal steroids is even greater and so the clinical the clinical effect when they are taken by humans is also significantly lower. Complementary medicine practitioners advise women to take such 'bioidentical hormones' instead of animal steroids or synthetic hormones synthetic ones, which are derived from plant steroids. Their differences are even smaller than, for example, the difference between oestrogen and progesterone, for example, and such small differences are attention, while the major difference between these and plant plant steroids is paid too little attention.
Synthetic hormones are obtained on the basis of steroidal structures structures, which are found in large quantities in 'wild yams' (Mexican Dioscorea). occur in large quantities. This plant has long been used as a used as a medicinal herb, but it has, if at all, at most a small anti-ageing or hormonal effect and it takes four steps of synthesis synthesis steps before it shows a hormonal effect in humans.
Steroidal (and similarly triterpenoid) components from plants have physiological effects, but hormonal ones do not.
Some plant constituents of a different structure than the steroidal are reputed to have hormone-like effects, most notably the isoflavones from the isoflavones from soya, in particular genistein. This ingredient attracted interest because health differences between Asian women Asian women and women in the West were attributed to the high consumption of soya products soya products in Asia. The Asian women had fewer menopausal menopausal symptoms (a pro-oestrogen effect was suspected) and developed breast cancer (an anti-proliferative property of soya products was property of soya products). Women in western countries began to began to consume large quantities of products containing soya isoflavones, but quickly but quickly stopped when anything pro-oestrogenic was suspected of being carcinogenic. suspected of being carcinogenic. In fact, genistein had very little effect on menopausal symptoms, which made it all the easier to give it up again. made it all the easier to give it up again.
In laboratory experiments, any type of phytoestrogen can be delivered to cancer cells and either have a cancer-promoting or cancer-inhibiting effect. cancer-promoting or cancer-inhibiting effect. Both effects are insignificant for the clinical situation because the contact of these substances with cells in the body is cells in the body is much lower. Chinese studies of dubious quality wanted to show that with Chinese herbs the decline in hormone hormone levels with increasing age can be halted with Chinese herbs and thus an anti-ageing effect. When the suspicion arose that high hormone levels could cause cancer, the trials were abandoned. But there was hardly any evidence for such hormonal effects.
In short, the phytoestrogen story was exaggerated, both the positive and negative effects on hormones. as far as hormones were concerned. High doses of steroidal substances from plants may cholesterol levels and also counteract enlargement of the prostate. prostate enlargement. They may also have an expectorant and sedative sedative effect. As far as hormone effects are concerned, TCM formulations have neither a have a great influence in either a positive or negative sense. One exception is liquorice (Glyzyrrhiza), which has a hormonal effect when taken around 9-15 grams a day over a long period of time. taken over a long period of time.
Note SB: Liquorice taken in these quantities can lead to electrolyte imbalances in the body, particularly with regard to the potassium balance, because it acts on the adrenal gland and causes a corresponding hormonal imbalance there, but not one that affects the oestrogen balance as we know it. In technical jargon, this is known as pseudohyperaldosteronism. This can lead to cardiac arrhythmias and blood pressure crises.
In our two clinics in Portland, cancer patients are the predominant clientele and among these are women with carcinomas of the reproductive reproductive organs. They undergo modern western therapies and also take TCM remedies and other natural medicines. medicines. We do not consider any herb or formula to be contraindicated. contraindicated. In most cases, I simply advise against using acupuncture and TCM remedies as the sole long-term prevention before a recurrence (after remission from the initial cancer). There is evidence that any specific procedure or formula is suitable for this situation. is appropriate for this situation. Acupuncture and herbs can be used during acupuncture and herbs can be used at this time to treat disorders, diseases and symptoms other types according to the usual TCM rules.
Addendum 2022: Also in October 2022, sources such as Wikipedia 'Phytoestrogens' confirm Subhuti Dharmananda's statements: Studies neither confirm nor refute a clear benefit or the opposite, i.e. harm that could come from the consumption of phytoestrogens.
Subhuti Dharmananda 2016, email correspondence with Severin Bühlmann
08.08.2016 Complemedis, supplemented 2022
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