The association between dietary isoflavones intake and gastric cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies

BACKGROUND: Isoflavones, a class of phytoestrogenic compounds, are abundant in soybeans. A number of epidemiological studies have investigated the association between dietary isoflavones intake and the risk of gastric cancer. However, the results are inconclusive. Therefore, the meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary isoflavones intake on the risk of gastric cancer. METHODS: Relevant studies from May 1992 to May 2017 were identified through searching PubMed and Web of Science. Additional articles were identified from the reference lists of relevant review articles. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a fixed-effects model. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: Seven articles reporting 12 studies were included in the current meta-analysis. We found no significant association between dietary isoflavones intake and gastric cancer risk with the highest versus the lowest categories of dietary isoflavones intake (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.87–1.09, I(2) = 27.5%). Subgroup analyses generally yield similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Higher dietary isoflavones intake is not associated with a decline in the risk of gastric cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5424-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.