Hot flashes are a common symptom of menopause. Some women experience very mild hot flashes that change their body temperature slightly and end briefly. Other women experience more intense hot flashes that alter their body's temperature considerably and last for long periods of time. Soy milk, a rich source of protein and calcium, also contains estrogen-like properties. Ask your doctor before adding soy milk to your diet as a treatment for hot flashes.
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes occur when the estrogen level in your body decreases. Your body's estrogen levels affect your hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is essentially your body's thermostat. When your estrogen levels drop, the hypothalamus reads this change as an increase in body temperature. In response, the hypothalamus increases your heart rate and dilates the blood vessels in your skin. This causes you to sweat as a way to lower your temperature.
Traditional Treatment
Traditional treatment for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause includes hormone replacement therapy -- estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progesterone. Hormone replacement therapy may help with menopausal symptoms but it also comes with a variety of health risks. These may include an increased risk of blood clots, breast cancer, incontinence, heart disease and stroke. Women taking the combination of estrogen and progesterone may also increase their risk of dementia including Alzheimer's disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. But conflicting research reported in the November 2002 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" found that taking estrogen and progesterone helped protect women against Alzheimer's disease.
Soy for Hot Flashes
Soy contains isoflavones, a plant estrogen similar to human estrogen. The estrogen in soy is weaker than human estrogen. Studies examining the benefits of soy on menopause symptoms remain inconclusive. Stacie E. Geller, director of the National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, led a review of studies dating from 1966 to 2004. She concluded that soy provided minor relief for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, according to the report published in the January 2007 edition of "Journal of Women's Health."
Soy Risks
If you drink soy milk in small quantities -- 1 or 2 cups a day -- you will unlikely cause yourself harm. But women who suffer from breast cancer or whose family history includes breast cancer should exercise caution in adding any amount of soy to their diet. High soy consumption has been associated with precancerous changes in the uterus. Soy may also interfere with the effectiveness of thyroid medication.
References
- Breastcancer.org; All About Hot Flashes; Jan. 27 2010
- Physorg: Integrative Medicine: Soy Offers Natural Estrogens; Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden; May 1, 2009
- "Journal of Women's Health"; Botanical and Dietary Supplements for Menopausal Symptoms: What Works, What Doesn't; Stacie E. Geller; January 2007
- United States Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service: USDA Launches Database of Beneficial Compounds in Soy Foods: Judy McBride; April 7, 1999
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health: Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy Use and Cancer
- "Journal of the American Medical Association";Hormone Replacement Therapy and Incidence of Alzheimer Disease in Older Women; Peter Zandi et al; November 2002
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