Food Standards Agency
Saturday 4 July 2009
Safer food better business banner
AZ-Directory
What's NewRSS
What is RSS?Listen
Listen to this siteDetails of the Agency-funded Phytoestrogen research programmes.
Phytoestrogens occur naturally in a wide variety of edible plants including soya. The chemical structure of the phytoestrogens closely resembles that of the human sex hormone oestradiol and, as a result, they can mimic or block the action of the human hormone although they are generally much less potent.
The phytoestrogen research programme was established in 1997 and the current objectives are to:
This programme of research will provide more information about phytoestrogens and how they act in the human body. This will enable the Agency to:
Phytoestrogens occur naturally in a wide variety of edible plants including soya. The four main types of phytoestrogen found in food are the isoflavones, the coumestans, the prenyl flavonoids, and the lignans. The chemical structure of the phytoestrogens closely resembles that of the human sex hormone oestradiol and, as a result they can mimic or block the action of the human hormone, although they are generally much less potent.
Phytoestrogens have been shown to cause some fertility problems in animals. However, there have been no reports of such effects in human populations, such as the Japanese or Chinese, whose traditional diet includes large quantities of soya. Indeed some scientific and medical literature suggests that phytoestrogens may have beneficial effects on adult populations. The current scientific evidence for either adverse or beneficial effects in humans remains equivocal.
The Food Standards Agency carries out work on phytoestrogens to find out more about their levels in food and how they act in the human body. The results obtained by the Agency will be used to provide health advice to the public and industry on the effect of consuming phytoestrogens either in foods (including soya-based infant formula) or dietary supplements.
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) set up a Working Group to review the health implications (risks and benefits) of dietary phytoestrogens. The Working Group reviewed both Food Standards Agency funded research as well as that conducted elsewhere and a draft report will be published in spring 2003.
Name
: Dr Natalie Thatcher
Tel
: 020 7276 8535
Email
:
natalie.thatcher@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Details of the Agency-funded projects under the Phytoestrogen research programmes T05 and T06.
Find out what our other sites have to offer