However, these patients are still at increased risk of heart disease. Lupus causes inflammation of the heart, resulting in an increased rate of heart attacks and artery disease, even in young patients in their 20s.
Nine common phytoestrogens in a Western diet, foods with the highest relative phytoestrogen content were nuts and oilseeds, followed by soy products, cereals and breads, legumes, meat products, and other processed foods that may contain soy, vegetables, fruits, alcoholic, and nonalcoholic beverages.
Some of the most extensively researched phytochemicals are phytoestrogens (FY-TOH-ESS-TRO-JENS), which include isoflavones (EYE-SO-FLAY-VONES) (high amounts of which are found in soy foods), coumestans (COO-MAY-STANS), and lignans. These chemicals may protect against breast cancer by protecting cells from estrogen. Because of their similar structure to estrogenâhence the name phytoestrogenâthese plant estrogens are able to take up space on estrogen receptors where the body's estrogen otherwise would have attached.