Soy To Prevent Night Sweats

Night sweats and hot flashes are some of the most common complaints during menopause. Approximately 85 percent of women in the United States experience them in the year or two before and after menopause, notes Breastcancer.org. Many women choose not to take hormone replacement therapy or HRT due to the possible side effects of the synthetic hormones. Soy products are an alternative that some women find helpful to alleviate the night sweats. However before choosing this treatment, consult your physician.

Theories/Speculation

Night sweats are actually hot flashes that occur at night, waking you from your sleep. According to the North American Menopause Society, it is believed that the drop in estrogen interferes with your hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. Although you are not too warm, the hypothalamus mistakenly triggers a response to cool you off, causing your blood vessels near the surface of your skin to dilate. This response shows up as a flushing of the skin, sweating and a feeling of increased heat over your face, back or chest.

Phytoestrogen

Soybeans belong to the plant family of legumes. They contain phytoestrogens, meaning plant-derived estrogens. These are not identical to the estrogen molecule, but they have enough of a similarity that they will bind to estrogen sensitive receptors in your body. The phytoestrogens in soy products are called soy isoflavones. There are three types of isoflavone: daidzein, genistein and glycitein. Because these are not true estrogens, they have an ability to exhibit only a weak estrogen effect when consumed.

Research

A study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology," found that isoflavones and soy products reduce the incidence of hot flashes. Over a six year period, 1,106 women, aged 35 to 54 were followed and evaluated. It was found that a higher consumption of soy products resulted in fewer hot flashes.

Similar results were reported in The North American Menopause Society's Journal, "Menopause," where subjects were given 50 mg of soy isoflavone extract daily and compared to a control group given a placebo. The isoflavone group experienced a reduction in the amount and severity of hot flashes in two weeks.

In the Aug 19, 2010 issue of "Menopause," it was reported that postmenopausal women taking 80 mg of isoflavones daily for four months had a significant reduction in night sweats and less insomnia than the control group.

Soy Products

Soy isoflavones can be found in varying amounts in soy products. Soy milks will often show the amount on the label and manufacturers will vary. According to the 2008 USDA Database for the Isoflavone Content of Selected Foods, tofu has 31.35 mg isoflavones per 100 g, tempeh has 60.61 mg per 100 g, soy milk has 10.73 mg per 100 g, dry roasted soybeans have 148.50 mg per 100 g and soy yogurt has 33.17 mg per 100 g.

Considerations

Although night sweats are a common side effect of menopause, check with your health care professional to rule out other causes. Some women may have allergies to soybeans and soy products.