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Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
University of Guelph
Guelph
Ontario N1G 2W1
Canada
E-mail: amduncan{at}uoguelph.ca
This book explores the topic of phytoestrogens in functional foods through 10 chapters, each of which is written by different authors. The book is organized into 5 sections that cover topic areas related to phytoestrogens and contains a glossary of terms and abbreviations for terms used in phytoestrogen research.
The first section of the book is entitled "Production." This section includes an introductory paragraph that gives an overview of phytoestrogens through a discussion of their classification, properties, metabolism, and analysis. The second chapter covers the biosynthesis of phytoestrogens as well as other polyphenols in plants, and the third chapter covers the chemistry and mechanisms of action of phytoestrogens in numerous conditions. Overall, this section provides basic information that sets the stage for the further examination of phytoestrogens in subsequent chapters.
The second section of the book is entitled "Consumption," although its contents do not cover this topic area. The first chapter of this section addresses the pharmacokinetics of phytoestrogens and provides basic information on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. The next chapter explores phytoestrogens in cell signaling, with a focus on estrogen receptors and the role of estrogens and phytoestrogens in clinical conditions. The final chapter of this section explores the role of phytoestrogens in body composition and obesity. In general, this section provides interesting information; however, it does not cover phytoestrogen consumption as the section title implies.
The third section of this book is entitled "Risk and Benefit Analysis" and includes 2 chapters. The first chapter focuses on female reproductive hormones throughout both premenopause and postmenopause, including a discussion of the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy. The second chapter of this section reviews the benefits and risks of phytoestrogens with reference to various health conditions and concludes with a risk evaluation of phytoestrogens.
The fourth section of this book is entitled "Optimization and Utilization" and includes one chapter that reviews the role of soy isoflavones and health. This chapter does not extend to other phytoestrogens but rather focuses on soy isoflavones and their role in numerous disease states.
The final section of the book is entitled "Applications" and includes one chapter, which explores the antioxidant activity of flavonoid compounds from wine. The chapter content is interesting despite its being limited to the topic of wine as a source of phytoestrogens.
Overall, this book contains substantial information about phytoestrogens. The sectional organization of the book is somewhat limiting because the chapter content does not always reflect the section titles. Furthermore, in contrast with what the book's title suggests, the coverage of functional foods is limited. Despite these limitations, the information about phytoestrogens provided in this book is very informative and provides an excellent learning tool in one package. This book would be a good reference for those wanting to learn more about phytoestrogens.