PHYTOESTROGENS AND HEALTH

By EMILY CLARK

RECENT EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS HIGHLIGHTING INTEREST IN SOY AND ISOFLAVONES YEAR EVENT OR DEVELOPMENT FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE ROLE OF SOY IN PREVENTING AND TREATING CHRONIC DISEASE HELD IN MESA, AZ (SYMPOSIA WERE ALSO HELD IN 1996, 1999, AND 2001 ) FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION APPROVES A HEALTH CLAIM FOR THE CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING PROPERTIES OF SOY PROTEIN UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) IN CONJUNCTION WITH IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY CREATES AN ONLINE DATABASE OF THE ISOFLAVONE CONTENT OF FOODS THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH CONVENES A 3-D WORKSHOP ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF ISOFLAVONES AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED CHOLESTEROL INCLUDE SOY PROTEIN FOODS IN THEIR DIET USDA ISSUES A RULING ALLOWING SOY PROTEIN (AND OTHER HIGH QUALITY PROTEINS) TO COMPLETELY REPLACE (PREVIOUS GUIDELINES LIMITED SOY TO A 30% SUBSTITUTION) ANIMAL PROTEIN IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM USDA FOR THE FIRST TIME SPECIFICALLY LISTS CALCIUM-FORTIFIED TOFU AND SOY MILK IN THE DIETARY GUIDELINES AS GOOD SOURCES OF CALCIUM PHYTOESTROGENS AND HEALTH IMPORTANT ISOFLAVONE-RELATED RESEARCH DISCOVERIES: 1899–1990S YEAR RESEARCH GENISTEIN ISOLATED FROM DYER’S BROOM (GENISTA TINCTORIA) GENISTEIN AND DAIDZEIN ISOLATED FROM SOYBEANS EQUOL IDENTIFIED IN THE URINE OF PREGNANT MARES BREEDING PROBLEMS IN SHEEP IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA GRAZING ON TRIFOLIUM SUBTERRANEUM, LEADS TO ISOFLAVONE RESEARCH ESPECIALLY RELATED TO REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS GENISTEIN SHOWN TO BE ESTROGENIC IN YOUNG RODENTS ISOFLAVONES SHOWN TO EXERT ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS GENISTEIN SHOWN TO EXERT ANTIESTROGENIC EFFECTS IN YOUNG RODENTS EQUOL ESTABLISHED AS A BACTERIAL METABOLITE OF DAIDZEIN GLYCITEIN IDENTIFIED IN SOYBEANS ISOFLAVONES SHOWN TO BE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EQUOL IDENTIFIED IN HUMAN URINE DAIDZEIN IDENTIFIED IN HUMAN URINE URINARY EQUOL LEVELS INCREASE AS MUCH AS 1000-FOLD IN HUMANS FED SOY ISOFLAVONES HYPOTHESIZED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECTS OF SOY GENISTEIN INHIBITS TYROSINE PROTEIN KINASE ACTIVITY IN VITRO RELATIVE BINDING AFFINITIES OF ISOFLAVONES GREATER FOR ESTROGEN-RECEPTOR-? THAN ESTROGEN RECEPTOR-? PHYTOESTROGENS AND HEALTH