Different health benefits from a legume-based diet, such as soybeans and soy products.
| Nutritional source | Health benefit | Mechanistic basis | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas, lentils, fava beans | Hormone-dependent cancer prevention (e.g., breast, prostate) | Binds ERβ, modulates estrogen signalling, induces apoptosis, inhibits angiogenesis | [15–17] |
| Soy protein-rich diets (East Asia) | Cardiovascular protection | Improves endothelial function, lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and enhances nitric oxide synthesis | [18–20] |
| Isoflavone-enriched foods | Bone health and osteoporosis prevention | Stimulates osteoblast activity, inhibits osteoclast differentiation | [21–23] |
| Legume-based diets | Metabolic regulation (type 2 diabetes, obesity) | Enhances insulin sensitivity, reduces adipogenesis, and regulates lipid metabolism | [24, 25] |
| Soy isoflavones | Anti-inflammatory effects | Downregulates NF-κB, MAPK, JAK/STAT pathways; reduces cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) | [26–28] |
| Soy-rich nutrition | Neuroprotection and cognitive benefits | Antioxidant defence, ERβ modulation, reduces neuroinflammation | [29, 30] |
| Plant-derived isoflavones | General antioxidant support | Scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulates endogenous antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase] | [31, 32] |
ER: estrogen receptor; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; NF-κB: nuclear factor-kappa B.
The authors acknowledge the use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT as an assistive tool for English language improvement and for conceptual support in preparing schematic figure layouts. All scientific content, interpretations, and final figures were critically reviewed, edited, and approved by the authors.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Amity Institute of Health Allied Sciences, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, for encouraging the study and for providing infrastructural and administrative support. The authors are also thankful to the South African Technology Innovation Agency for providing time, resources, and infrastructure to do this publication.
ST: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. MGM: Validation, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. Both authors read and approved the submitted version.
Both authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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