The same material formulated into topical skin care applications to enhance skin health has been investigated for its anti-cancer and postmenopausal benefit for women.
Pueraria Mirifica, from the root of White Kwao Krua, was used in South East Asia for its antiaging properties. This root, identified as Pueraria candollei var. mirifica or Pueraria mirifica, contains phytoestrogens, which are known to help bring the body into natural balance when estrogen deficiencies are present.
The ingredient was introduced to the personal care industry in 2005 by Bio-Botanica as Puresterol. The company recommended the ingredient for formulation in breast creams, eye gels, body gels, and creams; however, recent research suggests that it might have application in the treatment of breast cancer and menopause.
According to the company, researchers in the UK have been studying P. mirifica and miroestrol, its principal component, since the 1940s. More recently, P. mirifica has been shown to be a natural hormone replacement for menopausal women.
In a recent study by Edinburgh’s Napier University, published in the Proceedings of The Nutrition Society, researchers concluded that there is increasing evidence that phyto-oestrogens may be beneficial, even in women with breast cancer. The study showed that the phyto-oestrogens in P. mirifica were able to stop the growth of breast cancer cells. Other studies have found the ingredient to be beneficial in other ways for postmenopausal women.
