The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[HANK]

My wife is a five year Breast Cancer survivor and is concerned about the amount of soy in the shakes. She has read pros and cons concerning soy...what do you guys think?

[worldawind]

I have a friend who is also a survivor of breast cancer and when I told her about this program she said she can't use the soy products. You definitely need to ask your doctor, he and your wife need to make the right decision.

[DogMa]

It's possible to do the program with just the whey-protein products. I believe Jan has done it because she has to avoid soy, too. It's kind of limiting, though.

[fairladyj]

I am an 11 year breast cancer survivor, and I have chosen to use MF products. There are 2 schools of thought about plant-based estrogen. 1 is that it can promote re-growth of cancer in those who had estorgen-receptor positive (ER+) type tumors, and should be avoided. The other is that the plant estrogen binds to the estrogen-receptor cells and actually provides some protection, since it is enough different from the natural estrogen that it does not stimulate tumor growth.

Also, natural estrogen is stored in fat, so by losing weight, one is lowering the amount of estrogen in their system.

It also depends on the nature of the cancer - ER+ or ER-, and whether one is pre- or post-menopausal.

Talking to your Dr is a good suggestion, but be aware that some Docs have their own biases, and may or may not have good knowledge about the action of plant-based estrogen - you could also consult with a naturopath or other alternative medicine expert

[Mike]

Just to add a little here. I don't know if this matters, but the soy in Medifast products is processed differently than other soy products.
Most products on the market (especially in stores and supermarkets) contain soy protein isolates that are isolated through acid washing.
Medifast uses a pharmaceutical grade soy that is produced by a DuPont subsidiary called Solae, which produces Supro brand soy. They water wash they soy, so it doesn't lose alot of the natural good products that we eat soy to get.

Hope this helps.

[Jan]

Hi there,
I tend to be quite conservative. At this time most cancer researchers ask their breast cancer patients to avoid soy. It doesn't matter how the product is processed. It is really an individual choice but hopefully one made based upon medical knowledge. My oncologist, a breast cancer researcher with NW Cancer Specialties recommends no soy if you have had a positive estrogen receptor. In other words the cancer is fed by estrogen and soy is a plant estrogen. The whey based products are a wonderful choice. There are several and of course we have the eggs too.
The best thing to do is to check with your cancer specialist.
jan