Plasma concentrations of phyto-oestrogens in Japanese men.
A low mortality from prostatic cancer is found in Japanese men consuming a low-fat diet with high content of soy products, a rich source of isoflavonoids. We therefore assayed four isoflavonoids in plasma of 14 Japanese and 14 Finnish men. The geometric mean plasma total individual isoflavonoid levels were 7 to 110 times higher in the Japanese than in the Finnish men. Genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, occurred in the highest concentration (geometric mean 276 nmol/L). We hypothesise that these high phyto-oestrogen levels may inhibit the growth of prostatic cancer in Japanese men, which may explain the low mortality from prostatic cancer in that country.
Adlercreutz
H
H
Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Mellahti Hospital, Finland.
Markkanen
H
H
Watanabe
S
S
D002839:Chromans / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D060754:Equol; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000097:blood*; D005387:Finland; D019833:Genistein; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000097:blood*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors
C007610:4',7-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydroisoflavone; D002839:Chromans; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D007529:Isoflavones; D060754:Equol; C004742:daidzein; D019833:Genistein; C050052:O-desmethylangolensin