Soy and Menopause

For many women, menopause results in the onset of troubling physical and emotional symptoms, which may include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, urinary incontinence, decreased vaginal lubrication, headaches, body aches, depression, mood swings, irritability, and depression. Mostly, these symptoms have been blamed on the decreased estrogen levels present during and after menopause. Many Western women are advised to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for their menopause symptoms. However, this therapy has unpleasant side effects and not all women are candidates for it. Studies have linked this HRT to increased risk of breast cancer, driving many women to seek natural alternatives to HRT.

New studies, however, have suggested that fewer Asian women suffer from many of these symptoms and on a lesser scale than Western women, leading researchers to conclude that diet may contribute to the presence of some menopausal symptoms. One study found that while approximately 70 - 80 percent of European and North American women suffer from hot flashes during menopause, only 18 percent of menopausal Chinese women and a mere 14 percent of menopausal women in Singapore experience these same symptoms. The main difference appeared to be in the amount of soy each group consumed. Researchers believe that soy contains substances which mimic estrogen activity and so help the body cope more effectively with decreasing levels of estrogen which occur during menopause.

Even more significantly, Asian women who consume significant amounts of isoflavones and other plant estrogens found in soy have been found to be less susceptible to osteoporosis, a serious condition in which bone density decreases with age. It has been suggested that the type of protein found in soy prevents calcium excretion in the bones, so that more calcium in present in bones even in cultures that consume less calcium. However, most studies have suggested that soy itself - not just supplements of its beneficial elements - is what can help women with menopausal symptoms. Some studies have been launched to examine the ways in which diets rich with soy can be used in conjunction with or in place of traditional hormone therapies often prescribed for menopausal women in the west.

Women who have experienced the decreased levels of estrogen that occur with menopause become more susceptible to heart disease. This is despite the fact that throughout adulthood, men are far more likely to suffer from heart problems than women. This natural advantage seems to end at the time of menopause. However, studies have shown that menopausal women in parts of Asia are far less likely to suffer from heart disease than their North American counterparts. Scientists believe that the soy-rich diet of many Asian countries explains that difference. Soy isoflavones, natural materials that exist in soy help lower some cholesterol levels, including LDL cholesterol levels. Substances in soy also may act as antioxidants.

What is the Risk?
Even though women across North America have been increasing their soy intakes to lower their risks of heart disease and osteoporosis and to help battle the symptoms of menopause, not all studies have been positive about the effects of soy on menopausal symptoms. Some studies have found little link between soy consumption and menopausal symptoms. Recent studies have suggested that excessive consumption of soy could stimulate growth of some cancers. However, it is important to note that even those skeptical of the benefits of soy seem to agree that soy is a healthy food when eaten in moderation. In fact, much of the concern voiced by researchers centers around over-consumption of soy in enriched products, such as protein bars and other items artificially enriched with soy proteins. The FDA approved the claims made by Solae Co. for the link between good heart health and soy in 1999. For most people, then, soy can be safely enjoyed in modeartion.

What does this mean for women?
Soy has long been touted as a beneficial food, rich in low-fat protein. It is also a delicious food, and one that comes in many variations for most palettes. Soybeans, soy flour, soy milk, tempeh, and tofu can all be easily included in recipes and all contain the isoflavones that researchers believe are so beneficial. Soy is easy to find in stores and cost-effective. Many individuals incorporate soy into their diets as a consciously healthy choice. If nothing else, it is a safe, healthful, and very simple way to attempt to control some symptoms associated with menopause.

Women who cannot take Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT) in particular may be drawn to soy as an alternative. Even women who are currently taking Hormone Replacement Therapies but not getting the results they seek may find that soy helps to alleviate some of their symptoms. Soy may be of interest to those who are worried about heart disease and osteoporosis.

Women who want to see whether soy can help them with menopausal symptoms should speak to their physicians or natural health care practitioners about the suitability of soy in their diets. They may especially ask their health care practitioners for ways to ensure that they get the proper amounts of soy. In many of the studies which have been done so far, test subjects were given a minimum of 50 milligrams of isoflavones up to 100 milligrams of isoflavones a day. Most studies found that soy itself (rather than an isoflavone supplement) seemed most effective. Test subjects were given soy for at least three months in order to fully note any changes in symptoms which may occur with the food.

Women who are interested in using soy to decrease menopausal symptoms and decrease chances of heart disease and osteoporosis should find cookbooks and recipes including soy. These are plentiful and can be bought very inexpensively. Reading the backs of soy products should help women isolate the amounts of isoflavones, proteins, and other substances are contained in each serving, and should use these as a guide to ensure that they receive a moderate but not excessive amount of the potentially beneficial substance. Some natural health care practitioners, health food stores and companies selling soy products may be able to provide charts showing the amounts of isoflavones contained in each soy product.

Whether a woman decides to use soy or not in treating the symptoms of perimenopause, it is important to note that no serious doctor or researcher has claimed that soy is a miraculous product that will solve all problems. A healthy balanced diet, a healthy outlook as well as fresh air and exercise are recommended by all doctors as a way of preserving health at every stage of life.

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