Do hops and plant estrogens cause breast cancer?
Assessment of the proliferative capacity of the flavanones 8-prenylnaringenin, 6-(1.1-dimethylallyl)naringenin and naringenin in MCF-7 cells and the rat mammary gland.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested three plant compounds (8-PN, 6-DMAN, and naringenin) to see if they act like estrogen and could promote breast tissue growth. They found one compound (8-PN) from hops binds strongly to estrogen receptors and makes breast cancer cells multiply faster, but it's still weaker than real estrogen.
Surprising Findings
A compound from hops (commonly used in beer) showed the strongest estrogenic effect among all three plant compounds tested
Many people view herbal supplements and beer as 'natural' and therefore safe. This challenges that assumption by showing at least one compound can significantly affect breast tissue.
Practical Takeaways
If you have breast cancer history or high risk, be cautious with hop-containing supplements (often marketed for menopause symptoms)
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested three plant compounds (8-PN, 6-DMAN, and naringenin) to see if they act like estrogen and could promote breast tissue growth. They found one compound (8-PN) from hops binds strongly to estrogen receptors and makes breast cancer cells multiply faster, but it's still weaker than real estrogen.
Surprising Findings
A compound from hops (commonly used in beer) showed the strongest estrogenic effect among all three plant compounds tested
Many people view herbal supplements and beer as 'natural' and therefore safe. This challenges that assumption by showing at least one compound can significantly affect breast tissue.
Practical Takeaways
If you have breast cancer history or high risk, be cautious with hop-containing supplements (often marketed for menopause symptoms)
Publication
Journal
Molecular and cellular endocrinology
Year
2014
Authors
J. Helle, K. Kräker, M. Bader, A. Keiler, O. Zierau, G. Vollmer, J. Welsh, G. Kretzschmar
Related Content
Claims (6)
Scientists found that giving a plant compound called 8-prenylnaringenin to female rats without ovaries, at a specific dose for three days, made more little bud-like structures grow in their mammary glands than two other similar compounds did.
Three plant compounds (flavanones) were tested to see if they could help rat breast tissue grow, and they only worked very weakly compared to a strong hormone control.
A compound found in hops called 8-prenylnaringenin can act like the hormone estrogen in the body. It might attach to estrogen receptors and could potentially cause fat to build up around the belly area.
A natural compound called 8-Prenylnaringenin (found in hops) attaches to estrogen receptors in the body better than two similar compounds, and it prefers one type of estrogen receptor (ERα) over another (ERβ).
A compound called 8-Prenylnaringenin makes breast cancer cells divide faster than two other similar compounds do in lab experiments.