During menopause, you may experience hot flashes due to your body's decreased levels of estrogen production. Hot and spicy foods, caffeinated beverages and alcohol can sometimes trigger these hot ffashes according to MayoClinic.com. In Asian countries where women tend to eat more soy, the occurrence of hot flashes is less frequent. More studies are needed to establish whether soy is helpful if you have menopausal symptoms.
Soy Nuts
If you substitute 1/2 cup of low fat, dry roasted soy nuts for non-soy protein and eat them spread three or four times throughout the day, you may have a decrease in your hot flashes, according to Health 24, a health and medical news service. Eating soy nuts in conjunction with getting a few hours of exercise per week may also reduce your incidence of hot flashes.
Benefits
A six-year study of Japanese women shows that the higher your daily soy intake, the lower your incidence of hot flashes, as reported by "American Journal of Epidemiology." Soy contains plant estrogens or phytoestrogens also called isoflavones. Genistein is an isoflavone in soy that functions like estrogen in your body. It is possible that soy may reduce your incidence of hot flashes but the studies are inconsistent, according to American Family Physician.
Whole Foods
Adding whole foods made of soy such as tofu, tempeh, miso, soy milk and roasted soy nuts to your diet is preferable to taking supplements. You should always check with your doctor before taking a soy supplement. Soy foods contain high amounts of the phytoestrogen, genistein, as published in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Genistein is thought to also benefit you by reducing your risk of heart disease.
Inconclusive
Soybeans are rich in phytoestrogens, which imitate the action of estrogen. Studies are inconclusive regarding whether soy can reduce your incidence of hot flashes by giving you an estrogen-like boost, as reported by Harvard School of Public Health.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Hot Flashes
- Health 24: Soy nuts may dampen hot flashes
- "American Journal of Epidemiology": Soy Product Intake and Hot Flashes in Japanese Women: Results from a Community-based Prospective Study
- American Family Physician: Nonhormonal Therapies for Hot Flashes in Menopause
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Genistein
- Harvard School of Public Heatlh: Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
