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Effect of Diet on Excretion of Estrogens in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women¹

Infectious Disease Service, New England Medical Center Hospital, Boston 02111 [B. R. G., S. L. G.]; Frances Stern Nutrition Center, New England Medical Center, Boston 02111 [J. I. D., L. S.]; Joslin Clinic, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215 [J. H. W.]; and Department of Clinical Chemistry, Meilhati Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki Finland [H. A.]

Fecal, urinary, and plasma estrogens and plasma androgens were studied in healthy pre- and postmenopausal vegetarian and omnivorous women. Dietary histories of the subjects revealed that omnivores consumed a higher percentage of total protein and fat from animal sources. The total 72-hr fecal excretion as measured by dry weight was higher for vegetarlans. Preliminary results indicate that vegetarian women excrete 2 to 3 times more estrogens in feces than do omnivores and that omnivores have about 50% higher mean plasma level of unconjugated estrone and estradial than vegetarians. Estriol-3-glucuronide, a compound that is formed upon reabsorption of free estriol from the intestine, is found in lower concentrations in the urine of vegetarians. These data suggest that in vegetarians a greater amount of the biliary estrogens escape reabsorption and are excreted with the feces. The differences in estrogen metabolism may explain the lower incidence of breast cancer in vegetarian women.

¹ Presented at the Workshop on Fat and Cancer, December 10 to 12, 1979, Bethesda, Md. These studies were supported by Contract CB-74104 from the National Breast Cancer Task Force, National Cancer Institute.