Today, it is very common to associate phytoestrogens with menopause , but these active compounds go much further. They occur naturally in certain plants and science began to take an interest in them in the middle of the last century. Since then, different studies have confirmed the benefits that the intake of foods that may contain them supposes for people. If you want to know specifically what phytoestrogens are and what they are for, you just have to keep reading.
What are phytoestrogens?
If you are wondering what phytoestrogens are, you should know that they are natural compounds that are part of many foods of plant origin, such as cereals, legumes, vegetables and soybeans. They also bear many similarities to human estrogens and their chemical activity is similar to that of animal hormones.
There are different phytoestrogens in nature. Among them are lignans , which can be found in flax seeds, whole grains and legumes; cumestanes , present in alfalfa, lentils and beans; and the indoles , which are in the vegetables of the cabbage family. Also, there are isoflavones , which can be ingested through soybeans, red clover, green and black tea, and in grapes. The latter are the most studied and active, since they are the most similar to endogenous estrogens that are produced by our body.
Benefits of phytoestrogens
There are many benefits that we can find in phytoestrogens . We describe the most prominent ones below.
Improve menopausal symptoms in women
Phytoestrogens are considered a natural alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) . This is used to reduce hot flashes typical of menopause. There are numerous investigations that have demonstrated the positive effects of soy consumption against menopausal symptoms .
Prevent osteoporosis
After numerous studies, it has been concluded that eating foods with phytoestrogens reduces the probability of suffering from osteoporosis . Carrying out this study arose from observing how women in Southeast Asia, where soy predominates in the diet, suffered to a lesser extent from osteoporosis , a common pathology among postmenopausal women in the rest of the world.
The cause of this fact is based on the capacity of isoflavones . These regulate the mechanism of action on which the continuous formation of bones and the quality of bone mass depends, which is reduced when the woman approaches menopause.
Prevent cancer
The reason why research has been carried out to understand the relationship between the consumption of phytoestrogens and the incidence of cancer is due to the lower number of cases of people with this disease in Asian countries. Even so, at present there are no conclusive studies that affirm that the consumption of foods rich in phytoestrogens prevents the appearance of cancer. It should be noted, on the other hand, that this intake is not considered a risk factor either, as some contrary to this hypothesis claimed.
Some studies indicate that the preventive nature of foods with phytoestrogens against cancer may be due to their antioxidant action. Also because they have other beneficial substances for the body. Among them, fiber and healthy fats stand out , which help prevent the formation of malignant tumors.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Likewise, foods rich in phytoestrogens can affect the chances of suffering from cardiovascular disease . This property is due to the fact that these “plant estrogens” have the ability to lower LDL cholesterol levels (considered bad). Also to control blood pressure .
On the other hand, it has been concluded that diets rich in soy protein (rich in isoflavones) improve diabetes and obesity . Both pathologies are cardiovascular risk factors because they favor the reduction of insulin resistance.
Foods rich in phytoestrogens
Now that we know what phytoestrogens are , we will focus on the foods that have this substance so beneficial for the body. One of them is soy and its derivatives , such as tofu. In the case of the soy drink , it is important to take it 100% vegetable and without GMOs.
On the other hand, we have alfalfa sprouts . These can be included in salads, in creams, in side dishes and on sandwiches. Also spinach . Its isoflavone content is another of the important nutritional contributions that this vegetable offers.
In this section we can also highlight flaxseeds , since they are considered a natural regulator of estrogen production; and Legumes , such as lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas. Of course, we cannot forget nuts such as walnuts, pistachios and almonds, which also provide a significant amount of phytoestrogens.
