So, are soy isoflavones friends or foes? The answer is complex and may ultimately depend on age, sex, health status, quantity of intake, and even the composition of an individual’s intestinal micro flora. Human research including both clinical and epidemiologic data, suggests that isoflavone containing products pose a risk to estrogen-sensitive breast cancer patients and in women at high risk of developing this disease. Results of animal and human studies suggest a modest benefit in prevention of prostate cancer. Exposure to isoflavones by feeding soy infant formula bears a risk of adverse effects on the long–term development of infants. Women who tend to get pregnant or have irregularities in menstrual cycle, as well as persons who are at
