Researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee studied the relationship between eating soy food and the risk of colorectal cancer risk in women.

First, the details.

• The researchers followed 68,412 mostly postmenopausal women who were free of cancer and diabetes at the start of the study.
• Soy food intake was assessed at the start of the study (1997-2000) and reassessed during the first follow-up (2000-2002) through interviews with a validated food-frequency questionnaire.

And, the results.

• During about 6.4 years, 321 colorectal cancer cases were identified.
• After adjustment for potential confounding factors, greater total soy food intake was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer risk.
• Each 5 grams/day increase in soy foods was associated with an 8% reduction in risk.
• There was a significant difference between the women who ate the most soy food vs those who ate the least.
• Similar results were found for intakes of soy protein and isoflavones.

The bottom line?
The results are important because the researchers followed the patients in real time instead of just reviewing past records.

Can you lower your risk of cancer by eating the right foods? Maybe you can with soy. Support for this position is summarized here, here, here, and here.

2/6/09 17:43 JR