A vegetarian diet rich in soy is said to reduce hot flashes in women during menopause by 84%.
- A vegan diet low in fat and enriched with half a cup of cooked soy a day can drastically reduce hot flashes.
- Study participants went, on average, from 5 daily puffs to just one.
- This effect could be the result of isoflavones, which can be metabolized by intestinal bacteria to equol, a compound that reduces hot flashes.
At the time of menopause, almost 80% of women suffer from hot flashes. This is first felt by a heat rising in the chest and causing flushing, sweating and chills. To mitigate them, American researchers from George Washington University suggest that the women concerned follow a vegetarian diet rich in soy. According to their study, published on July 12 in the journal Menopauseit would reduce hot flashes by up to 84%.
A game-changing diet
For a long time, the way to reduce hot flashes were estrogen medications. The problem is that many studies have pointed to the risk of breast cancer, among other severe problems, they cause.
A change in diet would prove to be much more effective in drastically reducing vasomotor symptoms including night sweats and hot flashes. It is a plant-based diet enriched with soy. “This diet is a game-changer for women 45 and older”, assures Dr. Neal Barnard, lead author of the study.
Half a cup of cooked soy per day
The study tested the diet on two groups, consisting of postmenopausal women who reported at least 2 or more episodes of hot flashes each day. The first has, for 12 weeks, followed a vegan diet low in fat and enriched with half a cup of cooked soy a day. The second group continued their usual diet. The frequency and severity of participants’ hot flashes were recorded using a mobile app and assessed regularly. Each volunteer also received a digital bathroom scale to track their body weight on a daily basis, downloaded a mobile app to track hot flash episodes in real time, and a pressure cooker to prepare soy.
As a result, the average number of daily episodes of hot flashes fell from 5 per day to less than one per day. Nearly 60% of participants even managed to completely get rid of moderate to severe hot flashes. Additionally, many participants also reported reductions in sexual symptoms, mood swings, and overall dips in energy. Conversely, no change was observed in the control group.
The isoflavones in question
For the researchers, this effect could be the result of isoflavones, which can be metabolized by gut bacteria to equol, a nonsteroidal compound that some studies have shown to reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. Previous studies have also shown that people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet produce higher levels of equol.
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