Research conducted at the University at Buffalo, suggests that isoflavones, which act as physoestrogens and are mostly found in soy, may help to decrease the risk of some forms of breast cancer.

Anne Weaver, one of the study’s investigators, said that specific types of breast cancer were analyzed and that the findings suggest that menopausal status may contribute to a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

More than 191,400 women will be newly diagnosed with a form of breast cancer in a given year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the research, 683 women with breast cancer were evaluated and compared to 611 healthy controls. The subjects were assigned to one of three groups in which their isoflavone intake was differentiated and measured.

Overall, the scientists discovered that participants whose isoflavone intake was the highest had the best results. These individuals reduced their risk of developing an invasive breast tumor by 30 percent and decreased their risk of a grade 1 tumor to form by nearly 60 percent.

When menopausal status was factored into the research, subjects who were considered to be premenopausal, and who had the most isoflavone intake, had about a 60 percent decreased risk of developing stage 2 breast cancer. The researchers noted that this change was not seen among those who were in the postmenapause state.