Does phytoestrogen have endocrine regulating effect on people?

Phytoestrogens are compounds with weak estrogenic effects in plants. It exerts a weak estrogen-like effect by binding to steroid estrogen receptors with low affinity. The molecular structure of phytoestrogens is similar to that of mammalian estrogens, and they are a kind of plant components with similar biological activities to animal estrogens, which have a wide range of effects on hormone-related diseases. Although they are called phytoestrogens, they are not hormones themselves. Plants containing phytoestrogens mainly include: soybean (soybean isoflavone), kudzu root, hemp seed and so on.

Taking dietary supplements containing phytoestrogens is a common method to prevent menopausal women from suffering from osteoporosis. The latest research in the United States shows that this method is not as effective as originally thought.

Researchers at Purdue University in the United States studied the phytoisoflavones extracted from soybean cotyledons, bean sprouts, alfalfa and pueraria lobata, and compared these four phytoestrogens with traditional estrogen replacement therapy. The results show that isoflavones extracted from soybean cotyledons and bean sprouts can reduce the bone loss of postmenopausal women by 9% and 5% respectively, while traditional therapy can reduce the bone loss of postmenopausal women by 22% to 24%.

The researchers pointed out that the best way to prevent osteoporosis is to eat scientifically and exercise more. It is reported that after menopause, decreased estrogen secretion will lead to memory loss, hot flashes, fatigue, irritability and decreased bone density. Traditional therapies, such as estrogen replacement therapy, were once popular, but their use was limited because of their great side effects. Later, scientists discovered a safer estrogen, that is, estrogen extracted from plants, so taking dietary supplements containing phytoestrogens became a popular estrogen supplement method at present.