Breast cancer usually begins with formation of a small, localized tumor. Once such a tumor grows to a certain size, it is more likely to shed cells that spread to other parts of the body throughout the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Breast cancer is hormone-dependant , that is, an excess of the female hormone estrogen appears to spur growth of the cancer. Thus, estrogen is a breast-cancer risk factor throughout a woman s life. Some drugs, like Tamoxifen , are designed to treat and prevent breast cancer by lessening estrogen s effects.
Several foods can manipulate estrogen in the body, much the way Tamoxifen does.
Isoflavones , a food component also known as phytoestrogens , are structurally similar to the female sex hormone, and they bind to the same receptor sites on breast cells. But unlike hormonal estrogen, isoflavones do not spur the growth of breast tumors . When the chemicals bind to the estrogen receptors, they prevent hormonal estrogens from doing so, which in turn prevents tumor growth. Thus, foods that antagonize estrogen possess a unique mechanism for discouraging breast cancer. Get ETH Database , a specific ETH Article or ETH Recipe .