Vegan and vegetarian diets protect health of teen girls

Soymilk and soy yogurt: good food for young girls.

What young girls eat—especially during puberty—can impact their risk of getting breast cancer in adulthood. Researchers theorize that certain compounds in food affect breast tissue as that tissue is developing. The result can be an increase in lifelong protection against cancer or an increased risk.

For example, scientists have been speculating for decades that the anti-estrogen effects of isoflavones—compounds that are unique to soyfoods—are responsible for differences in breast cancer rates between Western and Japanese women. But, there is no clear consensus that adding soyfoods to the diet in adulthood will lower breast cancer risk.

However, some very interesting studies suggest that when young girls consume soyfoods, their risk for breast cancer later in life is much lower. A National Cancer Institute study found that risk for breast cancer was 58% lower for women who had consumed soyfoods between the ages of 5 and 11 years. A study in China—where soy consumption differs greatly across different regions—found that consuming soy between the ages of 13 and 15 was associated with a 49% reduction in breast cancer risk.

While the studies aren’t conclusive, it clearly makes sense for young girls to consume soyfoods that are rich in isoflavones. Soymilk (choose a brand that is fortified with calcium and vitamin D) and tofu are the best sources.

More recently, Harvard researchers looked at the effect of red meat consumption during adolescence. They asked more than 40,000 women what they ate in high school, and then followed their health over the next seven years. Those who reported eating the most red meat and processed meat during their teen years had a more than 30% higher risk for getting breast cancer as adults.

Vegan teens are most likely to reap these benefits since they don’t eat meat and are more likely than non-vegans to consume soy products. Studies also show that young vegetarians and vegans have higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and whole grains—all of which may protect against chronic disease. And that’s important since eating patterns and preferences are often established early in life. And signs of certain chronic diseases are showing up earlier in children than ever before.

So do your daughter a favor. Replace the hamburgers in her diet with veggie burgers and pour her a glass of fortified soymilk. Her lifelong health may depend on it.