Phytoestrogens dietary intake and health status of retiree from middle-notrh Slovakia region

Abstract

Phytoestrogens found in foods of plant origin presents chemical substances that possess a wide range of biochemical benefits. It has been found that they contribute in different health related problems. A wide range of commonly consumed foods contain appreciable amounts of phytoestrogens. Consumption of diet rich to phytoestrogen acts as a protective factor against many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, post-menopausal symptoms in the context of osteoporosis, cancerous illnesses of colon, prostate and breast. Three main classes of phytoestrogens covers: isoflavones, lignans and coumestans. Selected nine major phytoestrogens had been analyzed simultaneously in the same foods. Questionnaire designed to determine intake frequency as well as amount of selected foods and the most common diseases presented in the population has been used to find relationships between dietary habits and health status. Evaluation of selected goals in the present study has been realized in cooperation with 140 respondents in retired age (divided into Males - covered by 34 individuals and Females - 106 individuals), comming from middle-north Slovakia region. On the base of collected data it can be concluded, that evaluated population is presented by high values of lignans intake and particularly secoisolariciresinol, mainly caused by relative high proportion of cereals and linseed in the diet. Furthermore, the relationship between phytoestrogens intake and eating habits as well as its contribution in protection against selected diseases was demonstrated.

Keywords

• phytoestrogen
• nutrition
• intake
• health