Some women use soy products to ease menopausal symptoms, prevent osteoporosis and guard against breast cancer, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM. Red clover is also sometimes used to treat menopausal maladies. Both soy and red clover contain plant-based chemicals called isoflavones that may mimic the effects of estrogen. Ask your health care provider about the potential health benefits of taking red clover and soy.
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Menopausal Symptoms
The isoflavones found in soy and red clover may diminish menopausal hot flashes in women due to their suggested ability to imitate the female sex hormone estrogen. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in November 2005 in the journal "Gynecological Endocrinology" found that menopausal symptoms notably diminished in women who took 80 mg red clover supplements daily for 3 months. The research was headed by L.A. Hidalgo of the Foundation for Health and Well Being in the Climacteric FUCLIM, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ask your health care provider about the health benefits of soy and red clover for menopausal symptoms.
Bone Density
The regular consumption of soy protein may help preserve bone mineral density and guard against bone fractures in postmenopausal women, reports the American Academy of Family Physicians, or AAFP. Soy appears to have protective effects on the bones at least in part because it preserves calcium in the body.
A proprietary extract containing red clover isoflavones may slow down the speed of bone loss and possibly boost bone mineral density in premenopausal women, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. A study involving nearly 200 women ages 49 to 65 that was published in February 2004 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that isoflavones have a protective effect on the lumbar spine, or low back, in women. The research was headed by C Atkinson of the MRC Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Ask your doctor about the potential benefits of isoflavones for bone health.
Cancer
The phytochemicals contained in soybeans have anticarcinogenic activity, reports Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The genistein isoflavone in particular appears to slow the growth of breast cancer cells.
A study published in December 2009 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" involving some 5,000 breast cancer survivors in China concluded that soy food consumption seems to be linked to both a lower risk of recurrence and death. The study was lead by XO Shu of the Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Isoflavones from red clover may inhibit the growth of cancer cells or destroy malignant cells in test tubes, notes the UMMC. Women who have had breast cancer should not take herbs that have estrogen-like effects. Talk to your health practitioner about using red clover and soy to prevent cancer.
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