Components of soy proteins called isoflavones are in soy milk, other soy products and isoflavone supplements, and have been extensively studied in postmenopausal women. Isoflavones are compounds that resemble estrogen. Since estrogen is a female hormone that decreases during menopause, many soy studies focus on effects of soy on estrogen levels in post-menopausal women.
Quality of Life
People have historically used soy isoflavones to treat symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes. According to the Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, some studies show that soy isoflavones may reduce symptoms of hot flashes in post-menopausal women, but study results are inconsistent. A 2011 article published in "Frontiers in Bioscience" reports that in menopausal women, isoflavones can improve vasomotor symptoms and slightly decrease LDL or bad cholesterol levels. Based in the findings of this article, consuming soy isoflavones may help menopausal women improve their quality of life.
Breast Cancer
Doctors use endocrine, or hormone, therapy to treat post-menopausal women with early to advanced stages of breast cancer. Since soy isoflavones have estrogen-like properties, many researchers are interested in soy's effects on women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer. A 2010 article published in "Canadian Medical Association Journal" reports that high dietary soy isoflavone intake was associated with a reduced risk for recurrence of breast cancer among post-menopausal women undergoing endocrine therapy.
Bone Density
According to a 2009 article in the journal "Menopause," bone mass decreases during menopause, but this can be reversed with estrogen. However, the study found that menopausal women who consumed 25 g of soy protein with 90 mg of soy isoflavones showed no additional benefit in preventing bone loss.
Cognitive Function
Decreases in estrogen associated with menopause can lead to impairments in cognition including memory, according to a 2007 article published in the "Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging." However, results of this study showed that soy isoflavones when consumed from foods such as soy milk or isoflavone supplements did not improve cognitive function in postmenopausal women. In fact, the women who consumed isoflavones from soy milk showed a decrease in verbal working memory compared with the control and soy isoflavone supplement groups.
References
- Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine; Soy; July 2010
- "Frontiers in Bioscience"; Phytotherapy as Alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy; M.D. Molla; January 2011
- "Canadian Medical Association Journal"; Effect of Soy Isoflavones on Breast Cancer Recurrence and Death for Patients Receiving Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy; X. Kang et al.; November 2010
- "Menopause"; Effects of Soy Protein Isolate on Bone Mineral Density and Physical Performance Indices in Postmenopausal Women--a 2-Year Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial; P.M. Vupadhyayula et al.; March -- April 2009
- "Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging"; The Effects of Soy Milk and Isoflavone Supplements on Cognitive Performance in Healthy, Postmenopausal Women; L.R. Fournier; March -- April 2007
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