There are several suggested health benefits of phytoestrogens, particularly those found in soy products. Herbal medicines are also widely thought to confer health benefits. Additionally, drugs are prescribed to improve @entity1 health, but unlike phytoestrogens and herbal medicines, @entity137 are defined in experimental animals and monitored in @entity1 before and after marketing. Knowledge of @entity137 is crucial to decrease the risk:benefit ratio; this knowledge defines appropriate conditions for use and strategies for development of safer products. However, our awareness of the @entity137 of herbal medicines and phytoestrogen-containing foods is dramatically limited compared to drugs. Some aspects of the @entity137 of herbal medicines are briefly reviewed; it is concluded that virtually all of our knowledge is derived from @entity1 exposures leading to acute @entity137 . Importantly, detection of @entity137 is sporadic, and little information is available from prior animal experimentation. Additionally, well-organized monitoring of @entity1 populations (as occurs for drugs) is virtually nonexistent. Important @entity137 with long latencies are particularly difficult to associate with a causative agent during or even after large scale exposures, as exemplified by @entity286 smoking and @entity2 ; @entity172 replacement therapy and @entity1204 ; @entity4742 and reproductive tract @entity5 ; and fetal @entity167 exposure and @entity600 . These considerations suggest that much closer study in experimental animals and @entity1 populations exposed to @entity42129 -containing products, and particularly soy-based foods, is necessary. Among @entity1 exposures, @entity1 soy formula exposure appears to provide the highest of all phytoestrogen doses, and this occurs during development, often the most sensitive life-stage for induction of @entity137 . Large, carefully controlled studies in this exposed @entity1 population are a high priority.

Herbal medicines, phytoestrogens and XXXX : risk:benefit considerations.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['humans', 'human', 'infant'] @entity286 :: ('4097', 'Species') :: ['tobacco'] @entity172 :: ('MESH:D004967', 'Chemical') :: ['estrogen'] @entity137 :: ('MESH:D064420', 'Disease') :: ['toxicity', 'toxicities'] @entity1204 :: ('MESH:D016889', 'Disease') :: ['endometrial cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancers'] @entity167 :: ('CHEBI:16236', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohol'] @entity2 :: ('MESH:D008175', 'Disease') :: ['lung cancer'] @entity600 :: ('MESH:D000014', 'Disease') :: ['birth defects'] @entity4742 :: ('MESH:D004054', 'Chemical') :: ['diethylstilbestrol'] @entity42129 :: ('MESH:D048789', 'Chemical') :: ['phytoestrogen']
@entity137 :: (MESH:D064420,Disease) :: ['toxicity']
