HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYTOESTROGENS

Phytoestrogens are phenolic non-steroidal plant derived compounds possessing estrogen like activity. They are called estrogen like molecules because of their structure similarity to estradiol, the basis for their hormonal activity so they can bind to estrogen receptors and have a beneficial role in humans against deficiency of estrogen. Estrogen level begin to decline with a woman’s age and resulting in the end of menstrual cycle which results in menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, urogenital atrophy, incontinence, insomnia, heart problems and osteoporosis. These may compete with endogenous mammalian estrogens, bind to the ER and prevent estrogen-stimulated growth in mammals. These come into focus of interest due to their positive effects in prevention of hormone dependent cancer, cardiovascular diseases by improving plasma lipid concentrations, osteoporosis and cognitive decline. Phytoestrogens are used as an alternative to the ERT which is associated with the risk of breast cancer. The present article is focused on different phytoestrogens, their sources and recent knowledge on their biological impact.