Do Soybeans and Tofu Cause Breast Cancer?..."Actually, This Frequently Consumed Item Is Worse"

Soy Milk Helps Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
Green Tea After Menopause Increases Breast Cancer Risk by 55%

October 19th is designated as "World Breast Cancer Day" by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the "National Cancer Registration Statistics" released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Cancer Registry at the end of last year, the number of female breast cancer cases in 2021 reached 28,720. This accounts for 21.5% of the total female cancer cases (133,800), making it the most common type of cancer among women. On the occasion of Breast Cancer Day, we looked into foods that are beneficial and harmful to breast cancer.

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Recently, overseas research results have been published showing that soy milk, rich in plant-based estrogen, helps reduce the risk of breast cancer. Soybeans contain "isoflavones," which have a molecular structure very similar to estrogen and are called plant-based estrogen. Although there are concerns that foods like soybeans and tofu might have negative effects because 80% of breast cancer cases in women are caused by excess female hormones, this is a misunderstanding. Isoflavones in soy do not accumulate in the body but help balance female hormones that are either deficient or excessive. Isoflavones bind to estrogen receptors in the body and inhibit the overproduction of estrogen.

According to a study published in September by Professor Sahar M. Alnefaie’s research team at Taif University in Saudi Arabia in the international journal "International Journal of Health Sciences," soy milk rich in plant-based estrogen significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Additionally, a research team led by Dr. Channing Fuller, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University Cancer Center in the United States, announced that "isoflavones in soy reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 26%." The study found that postmenopausal women who frequently consumed soy had a 28% lower risk of breast cancer recurrence, and survivors of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer had an 18% lower risk of recurrence.

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On the other hand, representative foods harmful to breast cancer include alcohol, sugar, trans fats, and red meat. Research shows that daily alcohol consumption increases the incidence of breast cancer by more than 15%. Furthermore, green tea was found to increase the risk of breast cancer by 55% in postmenopausal women.