The truth about the menopause and soya
Although soya and the menopause have gone hand-in-hand in many Asian countries for thousands of years, in the United States and Europe there continues to be debate.
Typically, Asian women consume things such as tofu, miso, tempeh, soya sauce etc., taking in on average 200 milligrams daily. Research has shown that Asian woman tend to have fewer symptoms of the menopause and less severe symptoms and studies have been performed to determine if soya and menopause are indeed linked. What they have discovered is that the isoflavones in soya do have a hormone balancing effect. They can not only take the place of natural oestrogen and increase oestrogen levels when they are too low, but they can also reduce them when they are too high. This particular process is not fully understood but what is known is that regular consumption of soya can help ease or minimise menopause symptoms.
It is important to bear in mind that some of the studies performed indicate that the effect of the soya depends on the woman’s level of natural oestrogen while being consumed. For example, for a woman still having a normal menstrual cycle, the effects of soya showed little change. On the other hand, for women going through the change of life, it showed that the intake of soya increased the level of oestrogen. The result was fewer and less severe symptoms associated with menopause. With this, it appears soya and menopause is a good match.
In addition to the consumption of soya helping with hot flashes, it appears to have a protective effect on the heart. For instance, LDL, or bad cholesterol is also lowered. Again, the reason is not yet understood but somehow, soya helps by keeping the cholesterol within a range considered healthy. With this, a woman’s risk of stroke and heart attack is also reduced. However, there is more regarding soya and menopause. Other studies show that the isoflavones in soya keeps muscle cells strong, which reduces the woman’s risk of developing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries and other research shows that soya may contain compounds that can inhibit breast and endometrial cancer (often due to excess oestrogen), fibroids, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.
With so many potential health benefits for women including soya in your diet is a sensible option for women, particularly if you are approaching menopause. If you’re going to include soya in your diet make sure you include good sources. There’s been some concern in recent years about aluminium levels in soya which have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. However, this is only when soya is eaten in excess.
Eaten in moderation – say four or five times a week – soya can reduce cholesterol levels, protect against heart disease and encourage hormonal balance in women going through menopause or peri-menopuase. The best way to eat soya is in its traditional form, avoid snack bars which may contain raw soya and avoid any soya products which contain soya isolate as these are not made from the whole soya beans. Also make sure you only buy soya products which are organic otherwise they could be genetically modified.