Soya could beat cancer

A diet rich in soy could protect men against prostate cancer - and even stop them going bald, according to research.

Scientists have identified a potent ingredient in soya beans, soy sauce, tofu and soya milk that suggests they should be part of every man's daily diet. A little-known molecule, created in the intestine when soy is digested, helps to 'block' a hormone that leads to prostate cancer.

The research may show why Japanese prostate cancer rates, where diets include a lot of soy, are lower than in the West. Prostate cancer is now the most commonly-diagnosed cancer in British men, claiming almost ten thousand lives a year.

The same hormone, called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is implicated in male pattern baldness - so blocking it could also help to keep the hair on men's head.

The molecule, called equol, completely stops DHT in its tracks, according to research published in the journal Biology of Reproduction.

DHT normally stimulates prostate growth and causes male pattern baldness.

Dr Julie Sharp, of Cancer Research UK, said: 'One third of all cancers are thought to be linked to diet.'