The Study
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.
This study is like a laboratory experiment where scientists tested three plant compounds on breast cancer cells in a dish and on rats' breast tissue. It's not a study on actual people. Think of it like testing a new recipe in your kitchen - you can't tell if it will work at a restaurant until you actually cook it there. This study can only show what MIGHT happen in humans, not what definitely will happen.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
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.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 58 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1For humans: The compounds show weak estrogenic activity compared to natural estrogen, but 8-PN from hops has the strongest effect.
- 2This raises potential concerns about hops-containing supplements for people with breast cancer risk, though effects were weaker than natural estrogen.
- 38-PN binds strongest to estrogen receptors (prefers ERα).
- 48-PN causes most cell division in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
- 5In rats, 8-PN increases terminal end buds in mammary gland.
- 6All compounds are weaker than natural estrogen 17β-estradiol.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
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.
A compound called 8-Prenylnaringenin (found in hops and plants) makes the cells in rat mammary glands grow and divide more, specifically the cells that line the milk ducts.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.