Soy products and ER+ cells

Eil4186

I was told by my oncologist
I was told by my oncologist that dietary soy is fine for me and my cancer was er and pr+. He said not to take soy supplements though ever.

Cairmaid

Eil4186 said:

I was told by my oncologist
I was told by my oncologist that dietary soy is fine for me and my cancer was er and pr+. He said not to take soy supplements though ever.

To Soy or not to Soy, that is the question
I really do think the need to avoid soy depends on the medication you are taking and how it works.

Tamoxifen BLOCKS the tumor cells from using any available estrogen by plugging up their receptors. Check with your onc if you are taking this med but it seems logical to me that the cells will also be blocked from using soy. So, avoiding dietary soy isn't as critical.

Femara, Aromasin and other aromatase inhibitors keep your body from PRODUCING estrogen. The tumor cells can still take advantage of any estrogen or soy that's floating around in your body. This is when avoiding soy is important.

I'm taking Femara, with very few/very mild side effects so I'm not planning on asking to change meds just so I can eat everything. Besides, it's kind of a game for me, seeing how much soy I can avoid.

One more food to avoid: Lindt Excellence 70-85-90% chocolate bars. They don't have soy but they do taste disgusting :-)

sagisone

Margarine ~
Hi,

I don't know about the margarine or Soy, but you should definitely use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for everything that you can It is extremely good for you!! My Cholesterol was very high and when I started using EVVO, it dropped dramatically.

Good luck to you ~

Ann

mimivac

Soy
It's a controversial topic, but I am avoiding it b/c my onc. has asked me to even though I am ER/PR negative. Yes, it's true that soy lechitin is in everything. It's a cheap emulsifier, so they use it in most processed foods. Theo's is a good chocolate brand without soy. Good point Mariam that the soy in processed foods is genetically modified (GMO) unless it specifically says "non GMO" soy." You must become a label reader to avoid soy. It's even in most breads, so check your labels! As for vitamins, I buy Dr. Weil's brand everything online. It's very high quality and doesn't contain all the junk that cheap pills and vitamins do. That's one area where I think you get what you pay for. Oh, and Rainbow, I think your product with "natural and artificial flavors" almost certainly contains soy lechitin or the like. "Flavors," whether classified as natural or artificial are all made in a factory and do not occur in nature. I try to avoid them when possible

Oh, and I happen to like the Lindt Excellence! LOL. Although I can't do the really, really dark. I stick with the 70%.

Mimi

Cairmaid

mimivac said:

Soy
It's a controversial topic, but I am avoiding it b/c my onc. has asked me to even though I am ER/PR negative. Yes, it's true that soy lechitin is in everything. It's a cheap emulsifier, so they use it in most processed foods. Theo's is a good chocolate brand without soy. Good point Mariam that the soy in processed foods is genetically modified (GMO) unless it specifically says "non GMO" soy." You must become a label reader to avoid soy. It's even in most breads, so check your labels! As for vitamins, I buy Dr. Weil's brand everything online. It's very high quality and doesn't contain all the junk that cheap pills and vitamins do. That's one area where I think you get what you pay for. Oh, and Rainbow, I think your product with "natural and artificial flavors" almost certainly contains soy lechitin or the like. "Flavors," whether classified as natural or artificial are all made in a factory and do not occur in nature. I try to avoid them when possible

Oh, and I happen to like the Lindt Excellence! LOL. Although I can't do the really, really dark. I stick with the 70%.

Mimi

Still more soy-free goodies
I found out Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream and their vanilla swiss almond are soy-free! YAY! I didn't check the other flavors because the glass on the freezer door was frosting up and I was getting a chill standing there :-)

Mimi...I've eaten 2.5 of my 3 Theo bars. I'll have to struggle through with the remaining Lindt Excellence bar until I can order more Theo online! :-D

I've decided the Rainbow calcium wafers are like chewing rocks. Once I've finished the first bottle, I won't be going back for more. I bought some Citracal Petites. They're smaller than I thought (a little smaller than a regular Citracal caplet broken in half, without the rough edges). I can handle those.

Cairmaid

What my onc said
I asked my oncologist today specifically about soy lecithin, since it's the most difficult ingredient to avoid. Her response was, "You have to eat. Yes, soy lecithin is in everything, but a balanced diet is important for your health." She's going to find out if soy lecithin retains the phytoestrogen properties of the whole bean and call me next week. She said to definitely avoid soy supplements and other estrogen replacements but don't stop eating something that's good for me just because it has soy lecithin in it.

I'm sure she meant to keep eating chocolate, right? ;-)

I also asked about Brussels sprouts, broccoli & cabbage. Again, avoid the concentrated extracts but don't stop eating the vegetables.

My personal food-choice rules (your mileage may vary):
1. Avoid soy.
2. If there's a reasonable, soy-free version of a product, use it [reasonable=available & doesn't cost an arm and a leg].
3. If there's no reasonable substitute, find a different food that performs the same function (like using soy-free crackers instead of bread).
4. If Rules 1, 2 and 3 can't be followed, don't have a cow.
5. As a last resort, use a product that has ONLY soy lecithin and not soy oil or soybeans.
6. Restaurants don't count (i.e., don't quiz the waitstaff on what kind of oil is in the salad dressing). Just use common sense...don't order tofu or edamame.

Cairmaid

Sweet Success
I just found Theo chocolate on Amazon.com!!! It's cheaper than buying it on the Theo Chocolate Web site or even at Whole Foods, and it qualifies for their special FREE SHIPPING! Yes, you have to order 12 bars at a time. I don't see a problem with that :-)

dmc_emmy

Cairmaid said:

Sweet Success
I just found Theo chocolate on Amazon.com!!! It's cheaper than buying it on the Theo Chocolate Web site or even at Whole Foods, and it qualifies for their special FREE SHIPPING! Yes, you have to order 12 bars at a time. I don't see a problem with that :-)

Soy,it's tough to avoid if your a vegetarian
This is a controversial subject and the articles I have read are not conclusive, besides...

I tried to avoid soy completely after I was first dx, but as a vegetarian it is almost impossible. I have included some chicken and fish into my diet, but I still eat some soy products. My 1st onc told me that, if I limit my soy intake to one meal a week, it should be okay--since I cannot exclude it completely. I feel heathier than I have in over four years...well, that is until about two weeks ago (more on that later if it turns out to be significant).

I try to use moderation in everything that I do, including in what I eat. I, like many of you, exercise everyday, too (that is when the weather here allows me to be outside and walk and/or my work schedule allows me to arrive at Curves before they close--the latter hasn't been very successful lately).

I may be making a very poor decision, but cutting out soy completely was making me miserable and ill. I decided that my current quality of life was important, too.

dmc