Phytoestrogens are medicinal compounds from plants that interact with our bodies’ estrogen receptors, mildly mimicking estrogen’s effects. Women are becoming increasingly interested in taking phytoestrogens as an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for menopause, feeling that phytoestrogens are natural options that are milder and safer for the body. Many studies have been done on the efficacy of phytoestrogens. A new study has analyzed 174 of those studies, in a meta-analysis, combining the results of all the studies and analyzing them together for the purpose of a new research objective. In this case, the authors (Tempfer et al. 2009) reviewed the side effects of phytoestrogen treatments, compared to placebo or no treatment, in randomized controlled trials. Side effects were reported by 38% of the 4806 people taking placebo or no treatment (the control groups), and 36.7% of 5502 people taking phytoestrogens. Therefore the overall difference in side effects was not significant. When the occurences of different side effect categories were analyzed, those taking phytoestrogens were only found to have a moderate increase in gastrointestinal side effects. No increase in gynecological, musculoskeletal, neurological, or unspecific side effects were found in those taking phytoestrogens. The bottom line - phytoestrogens have a safe side effect profile. [And they are awesome.]
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I’ve been preoccupied with finishing up the very last of my coursework.. so I haven’t been blogging for a while, despite all the interesting articles I’ve come across, not to mention the running list of reproduction-related topics that I’ve been wanting to research and communicate on, in this form. Now the semester is over and I’m sitting in Philadelphia waiting for my sister, and only sibling, to go into labor for the first time. In other words, I will be a first-time aunt! I’ll be the doula of course. Stay tuned for blog entries about the imminent experience..
In other news, a friend forwarded me some information a month or so ago about a really interesting situation in southwestern Nigeria. In the town of Igbo-Ora, population 60,000, a local elder asserts that there is hardly a family without a set of twins or triplets. Some parents in the town even have several sets of twins! According to population experts, Nigeria as a country has one of the highest rates of multiple births, but this particular part of the country seems to be particularly populated with high numbers of multiples.
No one seems to really be quite sure why this is. Some have suggested that it is perhaps a genetic predisposition that accounts for this strange phenomenon. Most interestingly, is the diet-related hypothesis. The Igbo-Ora population consumes a local yam, called agida (Dioscorea, I imagine) in high quantities, utilizing it as a staple food. Yams contain compounds which mimic human estrogens. This was demonstrated for the first time this year by Cheng et al., who found estrogenic activity in all 7 species/varieties of Dioscorea they screened.
It’s interesting to review and compile all these different articles related to the effects of estrogen or lack of estrogen on the human body. It is related to my doctoral work and helps me to have a greater understanding of hormonal regulation of various physiological functions. For instance, one example currently very relevant is my sister’s pregnancy. She has experienced fertility issues for the last several years. In the spring, after I had been reading extensively on female hormones and health for months to prepare for writing grant proposals and beginning my research, I noticed that she had been displaying signs of estrogen deficiency. I suggested that she begin taking a mixed phytoestrogen supplement, and a month later she was pregnant! Now 9 months later, here we are this moment trying to determine if her contractions are indicative of the onset of true labor or if bebe needs a few more days before she’s ready.
Image credit: AFP
Estrogenic yam study reference: Cheng, Wei-Yi, Yueh-Hsiung Kuo and Ching-Jang Huang. 2007. Isolation and Identification of Novel Estrogenic Compounds in Yam Tuber (Dioscorea alata Cv. Tainung No. 2). J. Agric. Food Chem. 55: 7350-7358.
