Consumption of soy can partially replace the need for hormonal pills during menopause against the appearance of unpleasant "hot flashes".
Soy intake helps reduce "hot flashes" during menopause, according to a new study. The effect of the new method of dealing with the problem in women is twice lower than in the treatment with hormonal therapy, but compared to it, natural.
The practice of prescribing hormone replacement therapy at menopause is not always recommended. According to a study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health, such treatments may increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, seizures. This means that if women are taking hormones, they should be at the lowest dose and for as short a time as possible.
In addition, not every woman needs medication. Women with severe or frequent hot flashes, as well as women whose "hot flashes" keep them awake at night, should consider such treatment. For others, lighter herbal therapy should be undertaken, for example.
"Warm waves" usually occur in women 30 to 150 times a month, explains Dr. Rafael Bolanos-Diaz, co-author of the study. Women who take hormones have on average about 24 times less "hot flashes" per month, while those who take soy have 12 times less.
The subject of the study is not to determine whether the consumption of soy contained in food has the same effect on menopause as its intake as a supplement.
Soy has not been studied as much as hormones for the treatment of "hot flashes" and doctors do not know exactly how it works. It is thought to have an effect similar to the effects of estrogen on the brain, bones and blood vessels.