Counseling Sheet

Agatha M. Thrash, M.D.
Preventive Medicine

‍

Contrary to the attitude of many physicians concerning diets, the level of steroidal compounds in the blood can be altered by the strict control of diet. If the diet is restrictive of all foods that contain plant steroids such as phystosterols, sitosterol, ergosterol, and others, a sufficient reduction in blood sterols can occur that withdrawal bleeding can be induced from the uterus in a certain percentage of women.

To control menstrual bleeding, we often try a sterol-poor diet. For cancer of the breast, we use a sterol-poor diet, as estrogenic-type compounds can stimulate certain breast cancers to develop and promote more rapid growth in them. In cancers of the prostate, the reverse is true, and we give the foods that are high in plant sterols. For menopausal symptoms, we do not use the artificial estrogenic compounds, as these are known to increase the incidence of breast cancer in women from 12 to 35%, depending on the researcher reporting. Eating foods high in the natural plant sterols will control the unpleasant symptoms of menopause in most women.