A new study finds that increased consumption of soy may lead to reduced risk of breast cancer in Asian women, although the benefits decrease with age.

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that high childhood intake of soy led to a 58 percent reduction in breast cancer diagnosis. Adolescents and adults who consumed large amounts also benefitted, but only by a 25 percent reduction.

Dr Regina Ziegler hypothesizes that the reason may be biological, as “soy isoflavones have estrogenic properties that may cause changes in breast tissue,” although further research is needed before changes to children’s diets may be recommended.

Those estrogenic properties have also led to the possibility of alternative hormone replacement therapies, such as herbal supplements containing a soy-based chemical called genistein used by some to control hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

The genistein-based supplements may also lessen bone loss in early post-menopausal women, according to a study from the University of Messina in Italy that found it increased bone formation.