Does the Active Ingredients in Red Wine and Soy Help Endometriosis?
For Release:
May 5, 2009
Sharai C. Amaya, MD, and Anthony N. Imudia, MD, Win
2008 Donald F. Richardson Memorial Prize Paper Awards
Chicago, IL — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) awarded the 2008-09 Donald F. Richardson Memorial Prize Paper Awards to ACOG Junior Fellows Sharai C. Amaya, MD, for her research paper “Dietary Impact on Endometriosis: A Closer Look at the Active Ingredients of Red Wine and Soy,” and Anthony N. Imudia, MD, for his research paper “Retrieval of Trophoblast Cells from the Cervical Canal for Prediction of Abnormal Pregnancy.” Dr. Amaya is a fourth-year ob-gyn resident at Greenville Hospital in Greenville, SC, and Dr. Imudia is a third-year ob-gyn resident at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center. Both physicians presented their papers today at ACOG’s 57th Annual Clinical Meeting.
Dietary Impact on Endometriosis: A Closer Look at the Active Ingredients of Red Wine and Soy
Editor’s Note: Shaklee Corporation produces excellent soy products that are Non GMO and without the negative benefits of soy that can come from improper manuafacturing and know how. They also produce the best resveratrol product on the market, Vivix. See the following post for why it is important to choose a good soy product and the benefits of Vivix.
th the highest amount of active resveratro and other mi
Dr. Amaya’s paper shows how dietary compounds found in red wine and soy may have a role in the treatment of endometriosis due to their estrogen-like activity. Endometriosis, when tissue similar to that which lines the uterus is found elsewhere in the body, is exacerbated by high amounts of estrogen. Endometriosis can cause mild to severe pain for some women and may also lead to infertility.
The study looked at the effect resveratrol, a red wine component, and geninstein, a soy protein, have on endometrial cells. Soy is a source of phytoestrogens, naturally occurring compounds that act like estrogen in the body, and is thought to provide cardiovascular benefits, enhance bone strength, and alleviate vasomotor symptoms of menopause. Resveratrol in red wine is also thought to have cardiovascular benefits and to account for the “French Paradox,” a phenomenon in which the French eat high fat diets and smoke heavily, yet their rates of coronary artery disease are low.
By examining the estrogenic and anti-estrogenic characteristics of each component, researchers showed they both act as anti-estrogens. Resveratrol, in particular, was shown to significantly reduce the growth of endometriosis in mice.
“This is an exciting study, as it shows promise that resveratrol may provide a novel approach for the treatment of endometriosis,” Dr. Amaya said. “However, a lot more work needs to be done. Studies need to be performed to investigate resveratrol as a treatment in actual women who have the disease, and dosage questions need to be addressed.” Dr. Amaya said studies to investigate the role of resveratrol for the treatment of endometriosis, including possible benefits for pelvic pain and infertility, are planned. “
