Find Out More About Using Soy Products For Menopause Relief

By Carla A. Demtrius


Menopause is experienced by all women. It occurs in women who are 40 to 60 years old, after their ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate the menstrual cycle in females. When the ovaries no longer produce estrogen and progesterone, this cycle ends.

Many women experience uncomfortable side effects like vaginal dryness and hot flashes due to the drop in hormone production. Fortunately, simple dietary changes can minimize some of these menopausal symptoms. One of these changes is increasing the intake of soy foods. You can use soy products for menopause relief.

The soybean differs from other plant foods because it contains high levels of protein, fiber and isoflavones. Isoflavones are an estrogen that occurs naturally in legumes. They function in the same way as estrogen in the body and have several health benefits. This was confirmed in 19 recent studies that were done on more than one thousand two hundred women.



The interest in soy and menopause stems from Japan where researchers found that the low frequency of hot flashes could be attributed to the consumption of high levels of soy products in their lifespan. Soy is still helpful even for women who have never consumed it in their life. Even though phytoestrogens are effective in reliving hot flashes, they may fail to totally eliminate this menopausal symptom if it is severe. Just like with other natural approaches, it is essential to allow sufficient time for the treatment to take effect. In general, you can expect to see results after 4 to 12 days.

Some experts state that the majority of women use natural remedies in order to cope with symptoms such as night sweating, mood swings and hot flashes. The reason for this is that they fear side effects experienced when using hormone replacement therapy. According to various studies, women who consume large amount of soybeans that have phytoestrogens are less likely to experience menopausal complications.

The various soy products that you can use for menopause relief include tofu, soy milk, soy nuts, edamame, soy burgers, soy hot dogs, miso and soy ice cream among other foods that have soy. Researchers have not documented any risks of taking soy foods or supplements every day. Nevertheless, the digestive system of some people can be upset because of eating many of soy foods. Research studies have not documented the effects of following a diet high in soy for many years. You should aim to consume average amounts of soy.

The effects of isoflavones do not last very long. Therefore soy supplements or foods should be taken several times a day. Ideally, women should ingest forty to eighty milligrams of isoflavones every day. They should also note that soy protein differs from soy isoflavone. Although some soy foods contain high protein, they do not have a high amount of isoflavones.

Besides using soy products for hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause, women can also use soy products for skin care. Soy is beneficial for skin in various ways. The moisturizers which contain soy can help reverse sun damage, reduce lines and tighten sagging skin. These moisturizers also help make skin smoother or softer and enhance the skin tone.




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