Response to Soy Recommendation Wrongly Ascribed to AICR

American Institute for Cancer Research
Monday, 18 October 1999

In a news story reported by the Television News Service on Friday, October 15, 1999, The American Institute for Cancer Research was misquoted as recommending "three to four servings of soy per week." In fact, AICR has never made any such dietary recommendation, as the promise and limitations of diets high in soy are still being investigated.

At the AICR 9th Annual Research Conference in September, Dr. Anna Wu of the University of California commented on the true state of soy research so far. "Right now," she said, "there does seem to be a link between high-soy diets and lower risk of cancers of the breast, prostate and colon, but until the next generation of studies come in, some very important questions remain. What are the effective doses of exposure? Is cancer protection afforded only if soy is present in the diet early in life? Do the processed soy items now hitting the Western marketplace offer an anti-cancer benefit, or is it strictly the traditional soy foods that do so?"

The American Institute for Cancer Research is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on the link between diet and cancer. The Institute provides a wide range of consumer education programs that have helped millions of Americans learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. The Institute has provided over $50 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR's Internet Web address is http://www.aicr.org/

For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org