Soy & menopause

Yes more than likely, it is in a lot of menopause supplements.

I took a soya supplement to help with perimenopause symptoms (it really helped) but I suspect it contributed towards breast cancer as it is very high in phytoestrogens. I don't think it would be so much of a problem if you're eating it but I avoid any supplement with phytoestrogens now as my cancer was very high hormone positive.

Just thought that my response may have been a bit alarming, apologies. I think the general thinking is that eating stuff is good for you but you need to be careful with supplements.

I remember switching to soya milk for a while for a large drink of coffee in the morning, and I got really sore boobs from it so it definitely does something to you!

No not alarmed at all.  I can't get on with any plant milks and I've tried a lot as my daughter vegan.  I only have 3 cups of tea a day with a bit of cows milk in.  

Hi. I've been vegetarian for nearly 40 years and my understanding is same as yours. Eating soy ok but supplements not for ER+ . I was reassured when I asked that it was ok to keep soya in my diet. I dud switch from soy milk to oat milk as I much prefer the latter ! 

Hi all, thought I’d join the thread as I’ve drunk soya milk for decades as part of a veggie diet. Not sure if it helped during my menopause as I had terrible flooding. As a teacher I had to warn my teaching assistants that if I said I needed to go, it was a ‘right now’ situation! Thankfully it was usually a morning issue as didn’t usually have anyone in the afternoons. And the afternoons were shorter too. I had a lot of hot flushes but not the drenching that some people suffer. So it’s possible it helped with that. 

I did look into the soya debate when I was diagnosed, and thankfully the general consensus seems now to be that soya and its ‘simple’ products, like soya milk, tofu and tempeh, are fine and if anything are potentially protective. But I’m wary of the ultra processed soya products as I think they could be dubious - things like soya protein isolate, which is often found in veggie sausages, mince, protein bars etc. I did try other plant milks and now have soya in my drinks but oat milk in my porridge. Just to spread the love! 

Interesting thread Grogg, thanks for starting it! HFxx

HappyFeet1I wanted it to be about symptom control not about blaming BC on diet =lifestyle as I think genes more important and we shouldn't blame ourselves for getting cancer.  We could all be fitter and healthier but it's like infertility, the hard drinking, drug taking layabouts seem to churn them out while others struggling .  Diet though I think can influence everyday bodily functions to a degree .  I suffered flooding as a teenager in school.  I collapsed once and school nurse off so they gave me a bus pass to go home - a 3 mile journey then a 10 mi Ute walk.  My mother found me collapsed in porch as my dog was barking and taking her to front door.  I was too weak to knock.  I took iron supplements to try to stop the constant fainting and age 17 my mother finally agreed to contraceptive pill to control periods - she thought they needed to find out cause not mask.  Eventually paid to see consultant who said pill developed for heavy periods originally.  I struggled for years on multiple different types of pills.  Stopped the flooding but gave me painful periods which I never had.  Then had fertility treatment and after my daughter born I took Angus castus and it was like a miracle for me.  

HI Carol

Can i clarify Was the Angus castus good for the period pain ? Or the amount of flow 

Thanks in advance for clarification

I have also wondered about the soy thing as I can't tolerate dairy  at all, so eat soya yoghurt etc.in my diet and I was very highly estrogen positive and wondered should I carry on with this. 

FlyI

Hi Fly.  Both but my cramping stemmed from heavy flow and breaking off of large clots.  The large clots stopped x

Hi Fly, re soy - I went to a diet talk recently at Future Dreams in London - an organisation for anyone affected by breast cancer. The dietitian had worked in oncology since graduating, and mainly in breast cancer. She recommended soy in its simpler forms such as soy ‘milk’ and soy yoghurt, tofu, tempeh, edamame beans. But she cautioned against ultra processed soy which I think is probably mainly in meat-mimicking products. So I mainly avoid these but have plenty of the simpler forms. The talk wasn’t about looking backwards to question why any of us might have got our cancers, but at looking forwards to doing what we can to prevent recurrence. And to just being generally healthier. It was a really interesting talk, plenty of food for thought! 
And btw my cancer was also highly oestrogen receptive, 8/8. Love and hugs, HFxx 

Hi Happy Feet

Many thanks for that Info. Yes I was 8/8  too so was keen to stop anything contributing to a reoccurrence  x

Fly xx