由於國人飲食日漸西化，增加了罹患許多疾病的危險性，而一些疾病與內分泌異常有很重要的關連性。荷爾蒙療法常用來治療因內分泌失調所造成的一些疾病，但本法的安全性，不同的學者抱持著不同的態度。有些學者認為可能存在某種程度副作用，而尋求從飲食中改善。
目前在薏仁的研究報告中已發現存在一些可調節女性內分泌的化學物質。在人體實驗中，已發現薏仁萃取物可改善婦女因下視丘障礙所導致無排卵的現象，並增加腦下腺前葉黃體促素(LH)的分泌量。在動物實驗中發現，薏仁萃取物可增加實驗動物的排卵數目，並可增加黃體促素(LH)及濾泡刺激素(FSH)的分泌量而改善排卵的效果。在細胞模式中，也證實不同部位的薏苡籽實萃取物可增加或抑制卵巢顆粒細胞分泌動情素(estrogen)及助孕酮(progesterone)的效果。其有效成分可能是phytosterol和flavonoid等化學物質。
綜上所述，薏苡籽實具有調節血脂、調節血醣、輔助抑制腫瘤、增強免疫和抗發炎，及調節內分泌等功能。然而各功能之有效成分大都仍不太清楚，為了開發含薏仁營養保健食品，建立薏仁健康食品產業，今後應加強有效成分的分離純化，並進一步研究其作用機制。
參考文獻
夏詩閔。2001。薏苡籽實萃取物對大鼠卵巢性類固醇激素、腦下腺黃體促素和濾泡刺激素分泌之效應。國立台灣大學食品科技研究所碩士論文。
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