[EllaC]

Hi ladies,

Zara, (no offense please) the op's question wasn't based in ignorance (however passive aggressive you state it to be). Estrogen metabolism takes multiple pathways, gene activation (or lack thereof) plays a bigger role in all ethnicities. Improving DNA synthesis & estrogen metabolism rather than taking mass quantities of PM (or other phytoestrogens) appears to be the suitable option (in my opinion fwiw). 1-2 cup size differences in global breast sizes seem insignificant to me, so I'll mention what my scientist friend from Italy pointed out about the differences in equol (a non-steroidal estrogen) metabolism, which highlights the differences between some asian vs. western populations.

yep, maybe in men the estrogenic activity of soy is more effective than in women, but also it depends on individual genetics. You'll see in the link below, a very good article that summarize a lot of papers about phytoestrogens. After reading that, you can just say: yes, it could nbe helpful as it could be harmful... and maybe it's wise stay in the middle, not exceed:
http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/gen...d-daidzein

an extract of the article: (here it is something in english about equol and its conversion)

Equol has been shown to have the strongest binding affinities and estrogenic activities (especially for ERβ) among the daidzin metabolites and has been hypothesized to be largely responsible for the estrogen-like activities of soy and its isoflavones. However, there is a great deal of variation among individuals in the metabolism of genistin and daidzin, which appears to be dependent partly on environmental factors, including other components of the diet, and partly on genetic factors.

Only 25% to 35% of the U.S. Caucasian population is capable of converting daidzein to equol, whereas people in high soy consumption areas of Asia have rates closer to 40% to 60%. There is some evidence that Hispanic or Latino women are also more likely to be equol producers. Approximately 80% to 90% of people harbor the bacteria required to produce ODMA. The frequency of equol producers in one study of vegetarians was found to be 59%, similar to the reported frequency in Japanese adults consuming soy, and much higher than for nonvegetarian adults (25%). One Japanese study found that consumption of dairy products was significantly higher in those who did not excrete equol than in those who did.

Thanks Lotus xx
Thats fascinating info! It all makes so much more sense now. 
And in that last phrase "harbour the bacteria" has resonated with me!

ONE THING I HAVE LEARNT what we eat influences what bacteria we harbour in our gut and its all about gut bacteria! Ie do a Ubiome stool anaylsis and it will show you what bacteria good and bad reside . Change your diet for a few weeks and your gut bacteria changes immensly to reflect that.
Gut bacteria influences how we metabolize substances and this is also reflected in diff cultures, certain strains are more dominant, it varies country to country. When i started killing off my gut bacteria (good and bad) to kill the overgrowth in my colon i started developing allergies, to food , chemicals, envirnomental! Now Im trying to rebuild, this some of these missing strains I killed off have not returned (verified by stool analysis) and my allergies remain in place. So sad.

When the NORDIC DIET was brought up i had a quick look and first thing that jumped out was Root veggies tubers etc whole grains all of which feed the biome. Much like any healthy diet of course, perhaps if people are strict about this they have a healthy gut biome which equals healthy hormones.

Confirmed for my Dr and several other practioners, sibo, candida and dysfuction in the gut contributes to hormonal imbalance. I was told once the gut issues resolved as with my hormone imbalance and so far its improved. Ive always had a degree of IBS and high sugar diet. Most of my high sugar consumed when i was developing. This has clarified to me what went wrong in puberty FOR me anyway. 

Thanks Lotus you understand my train of thought. And that follows suit with what i was thinking, can our bodies handle/metabolize/convert substances that are foreign to our diets and cultures and that maybe this is why they don't yield results in terms of breasts, balance etc and in some cases shock the body like was done to me. 


Im not trying to dissuade anyone from using herbs as if you've read my thread you will know i have Greenbush (in abundance  ) and PM at home, Im trying to clarify and justify its use and i know now.

Thanks Lotus you have given me the answer i was looking for. This all falls into place now. 
I will unsubscribe myself from this thread lol BECAUSE i have no interest in conflict nor was this meant to be turned into that... and have my answer now and thanks for the positive input and ideas