Investigating New Trends
in Cancer Prevention
Effects of Soy and Acai Berry on
Cancer Risk
Presented By: Kelsey Albright

Do you think consuming soy products will
increase or decrease risk of cancer?
What is Soy?


Bean & legume
Forms:



Whole beans
Flour
Processed
 Soymilk, tofu, cheese,
soybean oil, yogurt,
miso, tempeh, etc.
Soy Nutrition

Depends on form


Unprocessed vs.
processed
Good source of
protein


~40% of calories
Vegetarians
Ca lor ies
Prote in
CHO
F at
Mat u re So y bea n s
(y ell o w ), cooked
149
14.3
8.5
7.7
So y bea n s, g ree n
(eda m am e)
127
11.1
10.0
5.8
Te m pe h
165
15.8
14.1
6.4
So ynu ts
194
17.0
14.1
9.3
To fu , firm
183
19.9
5.4
11.0
So y fl o u r, de fatted
82
11.8
9.6
0.3
So y mi lk
100
7 .0
8.0
4.0
M iso
71
4.1
9.7
2.1
What Does Soy Have to Do
With Cancer?


Research has shown
Asian populations have
lower incidences of
cancers
Key component:
isoflavons


Genitstein, daidzein, &
glycitein
Effects are similar to
estrogen


Caused concern for
women with high risk
Focus on breast health
Estrogen
Navigating the Information

Most use google and wikipedia



Look for .org; .edu; & .gov



General information
 What is soy?
But…be cautious
 Site biases, & falsified information
Specific nutritional benefits & consequences
More credible
Go to the source!

Does it have a link to a journal article?
 Read abstract
Research

“Childhood Soy Intake and Breast Cancer
Risk in Asian American Women”

Participants: Asian American women
previously diagnosed with breast cancer

Method: interviews with women and mothers


Lifestyle and historical questions
Dietary intake of soy during childhood,
adolescence, and adulthood
Results:
S oy Intake
C hil dhoo d (m ot her
inter viewed)
L ow
Med ium
H igh
A dolesce nce (su bjec t
inter viewed)
L ow
Med ium
H igh
A du lthoo d (su bjec t
inter viewed)
L ow
Med ium
H igh

Cas e s/C ontrols
RR (95% CI
m ode l
) full y ad jus ted
41/50
30/51
26/52
1.0
0.4 3
0.4
215/315
186/303
175/324
1.0
0.95
0.80
205/298
222/339
164/325
1.0
0.99
0.76
Soy consumption during childhood may be preventative
against breast cancer
Research

“Soy May Fuel Estrogen-Positive Breast
Cancer”

Estrogen sensitive breast cancer stimulated by
estrogen


Genistein mimics effects of estrogen
 Speeds growth of tumors
“…I am concerned about the woman with a estrogendependent cancer…She needs to be very careful
about the amount of soy isoflavones she consumes”

William G. Helferich
Research

American Chemical Society (2004)


Similar results
Study performed in cell cultures


Addition of isoflavones genistein and daidzein to
estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells
Results: Products of isoflavones caused damage
to the DNA of these cells

Initiated tumor growth & progression
Soy and Breast Cancer

Difficult to research and find a
conclusive result because…

Results vary depending on:

Ethnicity of participants


Cancer status of participants


Asian, American, or Asian-American
Before, during, or after cancer
Age of participants

Pre- or postmenopause
What Do You Think?

Do you think soy is good or bad?

Would you include or increase soy in your diet?

Why or why not?
NEITHER: Soy is Not Good or
Bad

No conclusive argument or recommendation

More research needed


Studies in cell culture and animals show negative
effects
 Unsure if human studies will show same results
Soy in moderation

Use your best judgment
Acai Berry and Cancer
Research

Do you think acai berry increases,
decreases, or has no effect on cancer
risk?
What is the Acai Berry?


Euterpe oleracae
Fruit of the Amazon palm
tree


Pulp or freeze-dried powder
forms
“Superfood”
 Cardiovascular & digestive
health, energy, & anti-aging
 Dr. Perricone on the Oprah
Winfrey Show
Nutritional Composition of
Acai
100 g Freeze-Dried Acai

Berries have many
healthy nutritional
components


High in vitamins,
minerals, and fiber; low in
calories
Acai is a berry

Fiber, vitamin A, iron,
calcium, anthocyanins,
proanthocyanidins, and
flavonoids
Ca lories
Ca lories from fat
T ot al fat
Sa tura ted fat
C holes ter ol
Sodium
T ot al car bohydra te
D ietar y fi ber
Sugars
Prot ein
V itami n A
V itami n C
Ca lcium
Ir on
544.9 kca l
292.6 kca l
32.5 g
8.1 g
13.5 M g
30.4 M g
52.2 g
44.2 g
1.3 g
8.1 g
1002 IU
<0.1 Mg
260.0 Mg
4.4 Mg
What Does Acai Have To Do
With Cancer?

American Chemical Society Report

High antioxidant content
 Reduces stress on the body caused by oxidation


Oxidation produces free radicals
 Antioxidants remove free radicals caused by oxidation
Factors causing oxidation
 Digestion of food, pollution, cigarette smoking, radiation,
and herbicides

High anthocyanin content linked to anticancerous effects
Research

Pharmaceutical Research Journal (2010)

Methods:
 Performed in rats



Fed one of 7 berry types
Measurement of number, and
sizes of tumors present in
esophagus
Measurement of antioxidant
capacities of 7 berries
Results:



Diet
Control
Control + 5% Black
Raspberries
Control + 5% Blueberries
Control + 5%
Strawberries
Control + 5% Red
Raspberries (WGO2)
Control + 5% Red
Raspberries (Meeker)
Control +5% noni
Control + 5% wolfberry
Tumor Incidence (%)
95
60
Tumor Multiplicity
2.15
1.07
63
75
1.00
1.25
75
1.19
63
0.88
60
63
1.10
0.94
Control + 5% acai
75
1.19
All berry types reduced number & multiplicity of tumors
Antioxidant capacity was similar
Anthocyanins & proanthocyanidins are key chemopreventative
components
Recommendations:


Ignore online scams and
claims for fast weight loss and
energy
Keep in mind that it is a fruit…


But more research is needed
Incorporate acai into your diet


don’t go overboard
choose a sugar-free acai pulp
Make an Educated Decision

Tips:

Determine the most reliable sources




Credible websites & journal articles
Ask a professional!
Understand both sides of the issue
Gradually include soy/acai into your diet

Rule of thumb: everything in moderation!
Recognize Error

Google search results

Be wary of .com sites- anyone can create

Sites that strongly encourage or discourage soy and acai
berry consumption


Product websites

Example: promotion or advertisements of soy & acai  bias


No absolute evidence for a recommendation of intake
Focus will always be on
benefits
News stories

Usually based on credible research, but must dig deeper to
uncover all the facts
Recognizing Error in Journal
Articles

Cell Cultures


Animals



Provide a simulated environment
 Cannot replicate conditions that would occur naturally
Similar genetic make-up to human, but not exact
Susceptibility to tumors
Humans

Confounding factors
 Genetic predispositions
 Lifestyle factors