Has anyone heard of this research? I came across an old copy of the
American Institute for Cancer Research newsletter (Winter 1993) that
says:
"Can a  simple food made from soybeans, eaten at a critical stage of
brain development, provide lifelong protection against breast cancer?
Coral A. Lamartiniere, Ph.D., a professor in the Dept of Environmental
Health Sciences at the U. of Alabama at Birmingham, believes it may be
possible. Dr. LaMartiniere studies imprinting, the process by which a
fetus or newborn develops nerve endings in the brain that regulate brain
functions such as hormone release. The imprinting that takes place before
and shortly after birth may not show its effects for decades. In an
AICR-sponsored research project Dr. L. hopes to find out whether exposing
newborn rats to genistein, a natural substance found in soybeans, during
an important stage of their nerve development can prevent breast cancer
later in life."
Genistein apparently has estrogen like acticity and Dr. L. found in
previous studies that rats exposed to estrogen one week after birth:
1. developed imprinting changes that appeared to protect them against
breast cancer in adulthood; 2. developed protective changes in breast
tissue and 3. were less likely to develop breast cancer in adulthood than
rats not treated shortly after birth with estrogen.
Estrogen itself isn't a good choice for human cancer prevention since it
could have unwanted side effects, but if genistein produces the same
results this soybean derivative may be a safe alternative.
Dr. Lamartiniere hopes that his work will eventually enable human infants
to eat soy based foods that may greatly reduce their risk of breast
cancer. "Potentiallly there may be a twofold route for the human infant,
both through the mother's milk and through a soy protein or baby food."
Does anyone know if further research has been done???

Pearl Shifer, IBCLC

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