Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Published in Articles - Soy on 09 October 2011 by Ruth Trickey

Research has identified a role for soy products in the management of hot flushes. Initial interest stemmed from the observation that Asian women experienced relatively less hot flushes than their Western counterparts.The compounds responsible for this beneficial action are call phyto-oestrogens and more particularly phyto-oestrogens called isoflavones. Although other legumes and a number of other foods contain isoflavones, soy has the highest dietary level of isoflavones.

Researchers have not always been in agreement as to the effectiveness of soy isoflavones because poor study design has meant that results from studies have sometimes been inconclusive. One of the biggest factors has been the severity of the hot flushes experienced by the women in the trials. When women with infrequent and mild hot flushes are included in results, the effectiveness of the soy isoflavones are difficult to establish, but when only women who have severe and frequent hot flushes are recruited, soy isoflavones are effective in alleviating these troublesome menopausal symptoms.

Research has shown that consumption of 30 mg/day of soy isoflavones (or at least 15 mg genistein) reduces hot flushes by up to 50 per cent. The greatest benefit appears to be in women who experience at least four hot flushes per day, and when the isoflavone-rich food or supplement is taken in small amounts over the course of the day. Thirty mg of soy isoflavones equates to about 100 g of tofu daily. Generally dietary soy is a good place to start, but your naturopath might also suggest you take a soy isoflavone supplement when symptoms are particularly severe.

Other articles on soy:

• Types of Soy Products 
• Are soy foods safe? What does the research say? 
• How can soy help prevent cardiovascular disease? 
• Tofu recipes