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soy concern

by Eileen
(UK)

Hello Wray, I believe the Natpro formula was changed from mainly yam to mainly soy, I was ok with this as I have relied on Natpro for many years to keep me sane. I have recently read that soy contains high levels of phytoestrogens that mimic natural oestrogens; so I'm confused to learn that oestrogen could be present in natural progesterone cream. Regards, Eileen.

Comments for soy concern

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Jul 30, 2013
 re Soy concern
by: Eileen

Thank-you Wray for posting my comment. Will you be answering it as I really would like to know about any soy in Natpro. I am concerned because my husband has prostatic cancer and the hormone treatment causes hot flushes so he uses Natpro to alleviate them. There is news afoot that oestrogen could possibly be a contributor to the growth of this cancer and that is why I wish to know if the main ingredient in Natpro is soy and therefore would phytoestrogens be present. I look forward to your opinion. Eileen.
Aug 01, 2013
 re Soy concern
by: Wray

Hi Eileen Sorry I can't get to the replies sooner, but there is only me doing them! We used to use a soy based progesterone, but changed to a yam based one two years ago. I got fed up trying to explain that there could be no soy or any plant substrate left in the progesterone. The plant based sterol goes through many enzymatic changes on it's conversion process, leaving a progesterone which is 99.9% pure. The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what plant is used for synthesising progesterone, providing it contains a plant sterol in sufficient quantities to make it economical. Over 250 different types of sterols, known as phytosterols, have been found in plants. Animals only have one sterol, or zoosterol known as cholesterol, and fungi only have one mycosterol known as ergosterol. The other type of sterol which is not used at all in the synthesis of hormones is known as a phytoestrogen. This has a triple bond in the A-ring, identical to oestrogen. Plants such as the soy bean, Dioscorea species of yams, fenugreek, sisal, calabar bean, some lilies, yucca, some solanum species, maize and many more contain phytosterols. Some of which are stigmasterol, diosgenin, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, hecogenin, sarsasapogenin, solasodine. As these plant sterols have a similar molecular structure to cholesterol, they are used as starting points for the synthesis of progesterone. Stigmasterol is also the starting point for vitamin D3 synthesis. Ergosterol is the starting point for vitamin D2 synthesis. We were recently offered progesterone synthesised from Quillaja saponaria, a tree which grows in Chile. Unfortunately it was much more expensive. I'm sorry to hear your husband has prorate cancer, but very pleased the Natpro is helping him. Your doctors are very behind the times if they've told you oestrogen could be a possible contributor to the cancer. It's a mitogen, i.e. causes cells to proliferate, so is implicated in all hormonal cancers. So too are high glucose levels, which leads to high insulin levels. Insulin promotes tumour growth, so too does IGF-1 (insulin growth factor-1). Please have his blood glucose, insulin levels and IGF-1 checked. This paper here concludes with "Thus, our data support the hypothesis that hyperinsulinaemia is a promoter of clinical prostate cancer. Furthermore, our data suggest that the insulin level could be used as a marker of prostate cancer prognosis and tumour aggressiveness, regardless of the patient's prostate cancer stage, cancer grade and PSA level." This is another here on the same issue. Although they advocate a low fat diet, this couldn't be worse. Continued below
Aug 01, 2013
 re Soy concern part 2
by: Wray

Hi Eileen I suggest he goes on the Ketogenic Diet, see here, here, here, here, here and here. It brings glucose levels down, and therefore insulin. Plus it increases HDL levels. He might find this meal planner helpful too, see here. You will find this book here by Gary Taubes very informative. Ignore the title for "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It", he explains why our blood glucose and insulin levels rise, and what to do about it. The Ketogenic Diet reduces glucose levels to the barest minimum, and the body uses ketones for energy. It's a very high fat, moderate to low protein and very low carb. Only the good fats should be used, i.e. MCT oil, coconut oil, butter, olive oil or macadamia oil. The first three are saturated fats, the other two mono-unsaturated fats. The best is the MCT oil, an extract from coconut oil. The body converts the fatty acid into ketones, in fact the brain does better on these than glucose. MCT oil forms ketones more efficiently than the other oils. The diet varies from a 4:1 ratio of fat to protein/carb down to a 1:1 ratio. The 4:1 ratio is used for epilepsy and cancer. It's also essential to eat enough protein. This is based on 0.9g to 1.0g of protein per kg of lean muscle mass per day. Contrary to what is generally believed a lack of protein leads to bone loss. Meat contains on average abut 20% protein, it varies from about 17% to 25% dependant on what's eaten, salmon having one of the highest protein contents. It sounds as if he's being given an aromatase inhibitor, or a GnRH to bring his testosterone levels down. There is no evidence testosterone causes prostate cancer, this was based on a 1941 study of only one patient, the myth persists! See here. These are two more papers here and here. Continued below
Aug 01, 2013
 re Soy concern Part 3
by: Wray

Hi Eileen Please have his vitamin D levels checked, low levels are implicated in over 20 different cancers, one being prostate. Birmingham Hospital send out test kits for £25 and the results back by email. Please ignore their 'adequate' level which follows NHS recommendations, it's far too low. Blood levels should be 175-250nmol/L. If low please consider giving him very high doses vitamin D to bring it up quickly. Also consider using large amounts of progesterone, i.e. 2000mg/day or more, see here. If you'd like to chat to someone in the UK about progesterone and vitamin D, please contact Julienne via her website here. Incidentally low vitamin D reduces the benefits of progesterone, see here, here and here. Take care Wray
Aug 02, 2013
 re soy concern
by: Eileen

Thank you Wray for your advice and sorry to have pushed you for a reply. I am pleased to learn that Natpro is yam based.I knew the formula had changed but obviously had remembered it in reverse! It wasn't the doctors who said that oestrogen could be a contribution to prostatic cancer, it was in an article which I will try to send on to you.
I have taken your advice on board and will pass it on to my husband. Warm wishes, Eileen
Aug 02, 2013
 re soy concern
by: Wray

Hi Eileen I would like to see the article you read, as I'm always looking for ammunition! Take care Wray
Aug 03, 2013
 re soy concern
by: Eileen

Hi Wray,yesterday, after struggling trying to send the article, I shelved it 'till later. It is too long to send in one part via copy and paste and the link just wouldn't work so alternative as follows:-
Google 'Dr.Shirley Bond', open 'bio-hormone-health' then 'men's hormones', scroll down to the title
'Estrogen now may play key role in development of
prostate cancer' good luck. Eileen.
Aug 04, 2013
 re soy concern
by: Wray

Hi Eileen Many thanks! I found it with your instructions, very clear. Pity she didn't give links to any papers, although I do have some, so maybe that was her source too. I know Dr Bond, Anna Rushton too. I noticed someone else using Natpro asking the same question as you did. I've asked on of our distributors to answer her, I'm hopeless when it comes to understanding how to do it! Take care Wray

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