'Gender bending' chemicals found in nuts

[Fenthis Glusos]

Worried about eating too much "gender-bending" soya? It turns out a host of other foods also contain high levels of oestrogen-like chemicals, including beer, wine and roasted peanuts.

Gunter Kuhnle of the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, UK, and colleagues surveyed dozens of foods and beverages using mass spectrometry, an extremely sensitive chemical technique. Most previous surveys of foods and drinks focused on one kind of phytoestrogen that is found in high levels in nuts and seeds called lignans, but ignored another kind called isoflavones.

By searching for isoflavones, Kuhnle found that phytoestrogens are present in far more foods and drinks than had previously been realised.

Studies on the health effects of phytoestrogens have painted a mixed and muddled picture. Some have hinted that the compounds protect against cancer, heart disease and the side-effects of the menopause, while others have linked high levels to an increased risk of breast cancer and male infertility. Still others have documented no link between phytoestrogens and those same ailments. So snack at your own risk – or reward.

Journal reference: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (DOI: 10.1021/jf801534g)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...20bender%20nut

Damn...

[Scott Kustes]

But how much does one have to eat/drink to cause an issue?

[Fenthis Glusos]

Originally Posted by Scott Kustes

But how much does one have to eat/drink to cause an issue?

Well according to this chart http://www.newscientist.com/data/ima...4627-1_637.jpg Nuts are BY FAR the worst...alcohol is pretty minimal

[Grissim Connery]

why have nuts turned against me...WHY!?

[Allen Yeh]

Just don't stick nuts in your mouth....

Had to say it...seriously though I'm curious as to what everyone thinks and will people start avoiding nuts because of this? I'm surprised they didn't put soy on the image list.

[Darryl Shaw]

Okay so nuts and seeds contain isoflavones and phytoestrogens but so what?
We've been eating foods containing these naturally occurring chemicals for millions of years without coming to any harm, indeed as the article mentions there is evidence that they might actually be good for us, so until somebody produces clear unambiguous evidence that they're harmful I'm going to keep on eating them.

[Fenthis Glusos]

Yeah, most grains contain phytoestrogens as well...probably not as bad a thing as I initially supposed though. Nuts should be limited anyway, on any diet....not such an ideal fat source (too many omega 6 fats).