Eating Tofu Can Slash Ovarian Cancer Risk

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Eating Tofu Can Slash Ovarian Cancer Risk

(Associated Newspapers, Ltd. Jan 12, 2007)

Eating tofu regularly can almost halve a woman's chances of

developing ovarian cancer, according to researchers.

A study found that a daily portion of the food, a meat substitute

made from soya bean curd, cut the risk by 44 per cent.

This level of consumption releases around 3mg or more of isoflavones,

the plant hormones in soya believed to protect against some forms of

cancer and heart disease.

The benefit also came from other products from the soya plant,

including soya fortified milk and dairy products.

However, diet in general had little impact on the disease, with dairy

products, fruit and vegetables or tea not affecting the risk, added

the study.

Scientists from the Northern California Cancer Centre carried out the

research involving 100,000 active and retired teachers.

In total, 280 cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed.

Each year, 6,000 women are diagnosed with the disease in the UK.

on, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said a small

tofu-based meal or a drink of soya milk would provide 3mg of

isoflavones.