Soy Isoflavones & Menopause

The soybean plant, also commonly known as soya, is a rich source of protein and a staple food of Asian cultures. Popular because they offer a healthy alternative to meat-derived protein and have around forty percent protein content after processing, soy foods are also gaining attention because of their possible medical benefits. While its activity against cancers and cholesterol problems draws men and women of all ages, soy is considered especially useful for menopausal women. The reason for this has to do with chemicals in soybean proteins called isoflavones, which research has found can treat and prevent numerous ailments and symptoms associated with menopause.

Isoflavones, sometimes referred to as phytoestrogens, are a sort of polyphenol generated by plants. In soy products, many isoflavones are present, but the most impressive of these are called genistein and daidzein. Isoflavones behave like the human hormone estrogen. Theoretically, plants make theses hormones for defense purposes, since grazing animals that eat them have a decreased ability to reproduce. Research has shown that many isoflavone generating plant species make more of the chemical during their predators’ breeding seasons. In the human body, they have a similar effect, fighting for the place of estrogen at receptor sites during a woman’s reproductive years. At menopause, when the production of estrogen virtually ceases, experts believe that soy isoflavones bond to estrogen receptors to lessen classic symptoms and associated illnesses.

Much of science’s faith in soy isoflavones comes from their observations of people groups that consume soybean products regularly. For instance, Japanese women eat little cow’s milk or meat, instead getting the majority of dietary protein from soy foods. Common varieties include soymilk, soy flour, tofu, soy nuts, and tempeh, the last two of which have the highest concentrations of isoflavones. In comparison to those of western cultures, menopausal women in Japan rarely complain of common menopause symptoms. The temperature imbalances that plague American women several months before and after menopause’s onset are virtually nonexistent in Asian women.

A serious danger linked with menopause is osteoporosis, or a loss in bone mass. Because post-reproductive women no longer make large amounts of estrogen, a hormone that aids in maintaining bone health, breaks and fractures are common at this stage of life. Isoflavones are believed to aid this condition in two ways: prevention and restoration. The calcium content of soy is as high of a glass of cow’s milk, which can strengthen the bones throughout life. By fortifying the bones and continuing to supply them with building materials, soy can thus stave off the development of osteoporosis. However, even women who have not consumed sufficient calcium during their lives can reap the benefits of soy. Scientific evidence indicated that the plant’s isoflavone genistein can actually help the body generate new bone mass.

Cancer is another prevalent medical condition among menopausal women. The estrogen that aids the bones also protects the organs from carcinogenic chemicals when present in appropriate levels. When isoflavones join with estrogen receptors in the cells of the breasts and uterus, they prevent the development of breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Clear evidence of this is again found in countries where soy is a staple food. The women of these cultures have a 54% lower occurrence of uterine cancer than others. Post-menopausal breast cancer statistics are also much lower in Oriental countries. Another part of the reason for this is that isoflavones behave similarly to contemporary anti-cancer medicines in combating cancer cells in the body. These plant hormones are believed to have antioxidant capabilities that keep cancer causing free radicals from damaging cell DNA and allowing uninhibited growth.

One of the most appealing abilities of soy isoflavones is its power to improve cholesterol levels. Heart disease is the number one killer of women after menopause, largely due to increased levels of low-density lipoprotein, otherwise known as the "bad" cholesterol. With the estrogen that once protected a womanís levels gone with menopause, LDL can quickly overwhelm a personís cardiovascular health. Plaque builds up in the arteries, which in turn leads to the formation of blood clots.

Ultimately, the condition causes heart attack or stroke in its victims. However, isoflavones stop the growth of the cells that cause arterial plaque. Furthermore, the isoflavone genistein has been proven to prevent the adherence of blood platelets to blood vessel walls, so clots do not have an opportunity to form. These behaviors promise medical advances for all people at risk for heart disease but especially for menopausal women, who can experience sudden and deadly changes once estrogen production stops.

The benefits for women in menopause who take soy products rich in isoflavones are numerous, although continued studies will be needed to clarify issues like proper dosage and long-term effects. For now, scientists have not found any drugs, prescription or over the counter, with which soy reacts adversely. Furthermore, it has only the mildest side effects in people not accustomed to consuming it. Among these are constipation and gastrointestinal upsets. However, the trend of giving lactose-intolerant infants soy formula, along with the centuries-old practice of eating it in the Asian world, points to the likelihood that there are no significant dangers to daily consumption over a long period of time. Better yet, many people report that these disturbances are only temporary, easing and gradually disappearing completely as they continue their new diets.

The only major concerns about soy products have to do with dosage and administration. While it has been established that the average Japanese person eats somewhere between 20 and 200 milligrams of soy protein daily, doctors are uncertain how much soy is enough to combat the problems of menopause.

What may be sufficient for inhibiting hot flashes, they say, may not be enough to provide anti-cancer and cholesterol benefits. To further complicate the situation, supplements in powder, pill, and liquid form are available with varying amounts of isoflavones. It will take time for the medical community to establish standardized dosages, but research promises that soy isoflavones have much to offer the world, and especially to menopausal women.

Return to the "Menopause Articles page"