What are xenoestrogens?

There are many synthetic estrogenlike substances found in our modern environment. Pesticides, household chemicals, and many plastics serve as sources of dangerous xenon or foreign, estrogens.
The problem with xenoestlogens start with the fact that they, like the body’s own estrogen, bind with estrogen receptors and send a message to the cell to start growing, and even increase the number of estrogen receptors in the body Furthermore, xehoestrogens prompt the body to release a chemical called ”tumor growth factor” The end result is that xenoestrogens increase the risk of cancer (particularly breast cancer).

What’s the relationship between xenoestrogens and psytoestrogens?

The natural plant estrogens that is, the phytoestrogens actually block the harmful effects of xenoestrogens. Phytoestrogens compete with both xenoestrogens and the body’s natural estrogens.
When phytoestrogens are present, they prevent other estrogens from attaching to estrogen receptors. Think of phytoestrogens as a broken key in a lock: the phytoestrogen does not open the lock (or in some cases it opens it slightly), but neither does it allow another estrogen ”key” to operate the lock.

What happens after a person eats soy beans or another source of phytoestrogens?

Most of the isoflavones found in foods occur in a form that is not biologically active. Bacteria that normally inhabit the digestive system are needed to slightly alter the isoflavones before the body can use them.
Phytoestrogens then make their way from the digestive system into the bloodstream and just about every cell of the body is able to take up at least some of these phytoestrogens. The reproductive tissues (including the breasts and reproductive organs) contain the greatest number of estrogen receptors, and for this reason are most likely to be affected by phytoestrogens.

When a phytoestrogen comes into contact with an estrogen receptor in the body, one of two things happens: either the phytoestrogen blocks the receptor (for an anti estrogen effect), or it weakly activates it (for a weak estrogen effect). It is quite fortunate that isoflavones function as estrogen when the body’s estrogen levels are low, yet seem to act as anti estrogen when the body’s estrogen levels are too high.

In addition to this phytoestrogen function, do the isoflavones also act as antioxisants?

Yes, isoflavones are also antioxidants, which help protect the body from free radicals. As you may already know, free radicals are highly reactive and destructive molecules found in air pollution, cigarette smoke, and ultraviolet radiation. Free radicals are even created inside the body during necessary processes, like breathing, transforming food into energy, or fighting an infection.
Over time, exposure to free radicals and the damage they cause contributes to dozens of diseases as well as premature aging. For instance, free radical damage to low density lipoprotein cholesterol (considered to be the ”bad” form of cholesterol) is an early step toward heart disease, DNA damaged by free radicals can lead to cancer, and proteins in the skin mangled by free radicals can appear as wrinkles In response to the danger posed by free radicals, the body had to develop a defense system, which took the form of antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals or repair the damage caused by them. The body depends on many vitamins and minerals to act as antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and selenium, but soy isoflavones also lend a hand.
The isoflavones in soy, especially genistein and daidzein, have antioxidant properties. Researchers at the Departments of Environmental Health
Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, tested the antioxidant abilities of soy isoflavones in animal cells. Genistein was the most powerful free radical deactivator, although daidzein also had moderate free radical blocking capability. This study also showed that genistein benefits the antioxidant defense system by increasing levels of other antioxidant enzymes. All told, isoflavones are potent free radical fighters.

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