The Truth about Soy and Menopause
The symptoms of menopause can be very uncomfortable so it’s no surprise that a positive relationship between soy and menopause is good news. Menopause goes on for at least a year and for several years in some women. For women who do not want to experience the possible negative effects of hormone replacement therapy, a natural treatment is the perfect solution.
The idea to use soy foods to alleviate menopause symptoms first came about because scientists noted that women in Western countries have menopause symptoms that are much more severe than those of women in Eastern countries. One of differences in diet is that women in Asia eat many more soy foods than those in the United States or Europe.
You can truly see the problem when you look at all of the various symptoms women have when passing through menopause. While not every woman has all of the symptoms, most women do have at least several of them. The symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, memory problems, depression, bloating, anxiety, crying, insomnia, hair loss, vaginal dryness, bone loss, acne, tender breasts, muscle and backaches, loss of interest in sex, headaches, weight gain, and rapidly changing moods, among others.
The medical treatment of menopause involves the use of oral estrogens. It’s called estrogen replacement therapy unless progesterone is also used. Then the treatment becomes known as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Because menopause also increases a woman’s risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer and dementia, many women seek out the benefits of HRT which include the strengthening of bones and the prevention of colorectal cancer. To balance it out, HRT also has its own side effects, including blood clots, heart disease, strokes, gallbladder disease and breast cancer.
Many different diets have been advocated for the relief of menopause symptoms. Just eliminating mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats can make life a lot less stressful. But changes in diet can help to prevent such larger threats as heart disease and osteoporosis as well.
Statistics show that while up to 90% of all women in North American have night sweats and hot flashes during menopause and even in pre-menopausal years, 30% of the women who live in Asian countries never have these symptoms at all.
Some researchers think that it is the phytochemicals in soy which make the difference. Soy actually has phytoestrogens which are much the same as human estrogen but much weaker. Isoflavones are one of these phytoestrogens. This theory though, has not yet been proven. More research on soy and menopause needs to be done.
While a preliminary study showed a reduction in menopausal symptoms when soy was increased, others have not. In fact, in some research studies, a sugar pill has the same percent of positive results as soy.
One good benefit has been found for soy and menopause. These isoflavones have been connected to a reduction in such more serious maladies as osteoporosis and heart disease. If you do want to give soy a try at reducing your menopausal symptoms, the best ways to consume soy are through ingesting soybeans, soy flour, soy milk, tofu, and tempeh.
The good thing about soy is that it has many nutritional benefits even if it doesn’t relieve your hot flashes. Soy has many antioxidants, including B and E vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, soy has all of the nine essential amino acids that humans need. It is a very high source of protein. Soy is a positive addition to any diet unless you happen to have a soy allergy.