Phytoestrogens and the breast

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds, which because of their structural similarity with estradiol (17 beta-estradiol), have the ability to cause estrogenic or/and antiestrogenic effects. In the 1940s it was noticed for the first time that red clover (a phytoestrogens-rich plant) pastures had effects on the fertility of grazing sheep. Because of hormone replacement side effects in menopause, women became interested in alternatives and phytoestrogens from soy were promoted as 'natural', non-pharmacologic agents for the management of menopausal symptoms. There is much disagreement within the scientific communities about the significance of the environment in the etiology of breast cancer, especially linked with high phytoestrogens intake. The aims of this study are to analyse the evidences supporting or contradicting the efficiency of phytoestrogens in menopausal replacement therapy and to review the data which link the breast cancer with the consumption of food rich in phytoestrogens. Nowadays, scientific research is inconsistent, and inconclusive, and does not support increasing phytoestrogen intake as an alternative for replacement therapy, nor does it suggest that the phytoestrogen intake is problematic for healthy women and detrimental for the breast.