Five studies have been performed

on breast cancer survival and soy foods

involving more than 10,000 breast cancer patients

and those who eat MORE soy

live longer and have a lower risk

of the cancer coming back.

But what about women who carry breast cancer genes?

Fewer than 10% of breast cancer cases run in families,

but when they do it's most likely mutations

to one of the tumor suppressor genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2,

that defend the integrity of our genes.

They are involved in DNA repair,

and so if either one of them is damaged, has mutations,

chromosomal abnormalities can result,

which can set us up for cancer.

This idea that we had tumor suppressor genes

goes back to famous research in the 60s

that showed that if you fuse together

a normal cell with a cancer cell,

the cancer cell doesn't turn the normal cell malignant,

rather the normal cell suppresses the cancerous one.

Tumor suppressor genes are typically

split up into 2 types.

There are gatekeeper genes that keep cancer cells in check,

and caretaker genes that keep the cell

from going cancerous in the first place.

And BRCA genes appear able to do both—

that's why their function is so important.

Until recently, dietary recommendations for those with mutations

focused on reducing DNA damage

caused by free radicals

by eating lots of antioxidant packed foods,

fruits and vegetables.

If your DNA repair capacity is low,

you want to be extra careful

about damaging your DNA in the first place.

But what if we could also   boost BRCA function?

In my video on the topic, the last one I did,

I showed how in vitro, soy phytoestrogens

could turn back on BRCA protection

suppressed by breast cancer,

upregulating BRCA expression

as much as 1000% within 48 hours.

But does that translate out of the petri dish

and  into the person?

Apparently so.

Soy intake was only associated with

a 27% breast cancer risk reduction

in people with normal BRCA genes,

but a 73% risk reduction

in carriers of BRCA gene mutations.

So a healthy diet may be particularly important

in those at high genetic risk.

Meat consumption, for example, was linked

to twice as much risk in those with BRCA mutations,

97% increased risk instead of just 41% increased risk of breast cancer

in those with normal BRCA genes.

So same dietary advice,

but just more important when there's more risk.