First, this is a bit of an oddity - a paper from China about health in the USA. Second, a paper from China in part about the impact of soy. After all, there is a widespread belief that vast quantities of soy are consumed in China.
There have been many posts here in which soy and soy products have been discussed. Unlike some foods, it isn't the interactions between the food and levothyroxine in the stomach that is the issue, but the effects within the blood and body.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Aug 12.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14553-7. Online ahead of print.
Exploratory analysis of the associations between urinary phytoestrogens and thyroid hormones among adolescents and adults in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010
Yun Fan # 1 2 , Hong Qian # 1 2 , Zhuo Wu # 3 , Zhi Li 1 2 , Xiuzhu Li 4 , Yan Zhang 5 , Qiaoqiao Xu 1 2 , Chuncheng Lu 6 7 , Xinru Wang 8 9
• PMID: 34383217
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14553-7
Abstract
Phytoestrogens are naturally plant-derived compounds that could bind to estrogen receptors and mimic estrogenic effects. Previous studies showed a positive association between phytoestrogens and hypothyroidism; however, little is known on phytoestrogens and thyroid hormones. This study was designed to investigate the associations between urinary phytoestrogens and thyroid hormone levels. Based on the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010, 4103 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Linear regression models and multiple linear regressions models were applied to examine the relationships between urinary phytoestrogens and thyroid hormone levels. Urinary O-desmethylangolensin (O-DMA) was found to be correlated with serum FT4 levels in the female 20-60-year-of-age group (β=0.018, 95% CI: 0.006, 0.031). Higher enterolactone (ENT) levels were significantly positively associated with TSH levels in the 12-19-year-of-age female group (β=0.196, 95% CI: 0.081, 0.311). In the male group, enterodiol (END) was significantly positively correlated with TSH and TT3 in the 12-19-year-of-age group, respectively (TT3: β=3.444, 95% CI: 0.150, 6.737; TSH: β=0.104, 95% CI: 0.005, 0.203). However, equol (EQU) levels were negatively associated with TT4 (12-19-year-of-age: β=- 0.166, 95% CI: - 0.279, - 0.034; 20-60-year-of-age: β=- 0.132, 95% CI: - 0.230, - 0.034). Our study provided epidemiological evidence that urinary phytoestrogens were powerfully associated with thyroid hormone levels. The results also supported that phytoestrogens acted as endocrine disruptors. It is imperative and important to pay attention to the intake of phytoestrogens.
Keywords: Adolescents; Adults; Cross-sectional study; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Phytoestrogen; Thyroid hormone.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/343...
O-Desmethylangolensin
O-Desmethylangolensin (O-DMA) is a phytoestrogen. It is an intestinal bacterial metabolite of the soy phytoestrogen daidzein.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Des...
Enterolactone
Enterolactone is a organic compound classified as an enterolignan. It is formed by the action of intestinal bacteria on plant lignan precursors present in the diet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enter...
Enterodiol
It is formed by the action of intestinal bacteria on lignan precursors.