Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Soy has hormonal effect in kids: Japanese study
In the May, 2011 issue of American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers investigated whether soy intake is associated with sex steroid levels in Japanese children. This cross-sectional study was conducted in autumn 2006. Subjects were substantially healthy preschoolers, 230 boys and 198 girls, aged 3–6 years. Dietary data, including soy intake, were assessed using 3-day dietary records. Urinary estrone, estradiol, testosterone, and 5-androstene-3β,17α diol levels measured using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, and urinary dehydroepiandrosterone level measured with a radioimmunoassay, were adjusted for urinary creatinine levels. In the analysis of covariance for sex steroids after adjustments for age and body mass index, soy intake was significantly negatively related to estrone and estradiol in boys and positively related to testosterone and 5-androstene-3β,17α diol in girls. Isoflavone had a significant tendency to be negatively associated with estradiol in boys and to be positively associated with testosterone in girls. Total energy intake was not associated with any sex steroids in boys or girls. These results suggest that soy intake might affect the secretion or metabolism of sex steroids in childhood and that the effects might differ by sex.
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2 comments:
What does this practically mean for kids? What is the long-term effect?
That remains to be seen. The data has been positive and negative. Our philosophy for young children is that with drinks (excluding formula, of course), whether cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc., do not consume the same one every day. Mix it up so that there is balance. This reduces the potential for allergy, intolerance, and excess exposure to substances such as phytoestrogens. But we do not dissuade parent from giving soy products to their children unless there is an allergy/intolerance.
Another aspect that was not considered in this study is that conventional soy products have a much higher estrogen content than organic soy due to the pesticide load. Always choose organic soy!
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