Soy sauce may cut cancer risk

Women may be able to avoid breast cancer by eating more Chinese food, scientists will be told today.

Soy protein found in the Oriental diet contains chemical compounds which appear to mimic the action of the widely-used breast cancer drug tamoxifen, a meeting of the Biochemical Society at Liverpool University will hear.

Dr Helen Wiseman, of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at King's College, London, says this may be why people in Japan and China have such low rates of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

It could also explain why populations consuming large amounts of soy products have a low incidence of heart disease.