Women's Health

Managing Menopause

As many as 85 percent of menopausal women suffer from hot flashes. Many women seek an alternative to conventional hormone therapy (HT) for relieving menopausal symptoms, with hot flashes being the most common reason women seek treatment. Soy isoflavones may provide benefits for hot flashes, while also protecting the heart and bones. For example, the largest and longest hot flash trial found the primary isoflavone in soybeans reduced hot flash frequency by 50%, which was significantly greater than the placebo.^11,12 Similarly, a recently conducted study found that among Brazilian women isoflavones reduced hot flash frequency by 60%, which was twice as much as the reduction in the placebo group.¹²

For more on soy and women's health, including detailed scientific references, click here.

Facts About Soy and Breast Cancer
Exciting research indicates that consuming modest amounts of soy early in life - just one serving per day - may markedly reduce breast cancer risk later in life.¹³ There is both a biological basis and epidemiologic and animal data in support of this hypothesis and the protective effects of soy are consistent with the knowledge that events early in life profoundly impact the development of breast cancer.

Although there is discussion about whether isoflavones are contraindicated for breast cancer patients, according to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer patients can safely consume up to 3 servings of traditional soyfoods daily.

For information on soy and breast cancer, click here.

Improving Bone Health
As rich sources of high-quality protein and isoflavones, soyfoods may help promote bone health. In addition, the calcium in fortified soymilk is well absorbed.

Over 20 clinical trials have examined the effects of isoflavone-rich soyfoods or isoflavone supplements on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Generally, these studies indicate reduced bone loss in response to isoflavone exposure.

These results are consistent with epidemiologic research showing that Asian women who consume soy tend to have stronger bones than those who don't. Furthermore, the only epidemiologic study to include fractures as an endpoint found that Chinese women who consumed the most soy - about 2 1/2 servings per day - were one-third less likely to experience a fracture, compared to women who consumed the least soy.¹⁴

The Importance of Isoflavones
Isoflavones are chemically similar in structure to estrogen and, in fact, exert estrogen-like effects under certain experimental conditions. However, isoflavones and estrogen are also very different molecules. The two primary isoflavones in soybeans are genistein and daidzein. Much of the research interest in the health benefits of soyfoods is because they are essentially unique dietary sources of isoflavones.

Proposed benefits of isoflavones include inhibiting postmenopausal bone resorption, improving endothelial function, alleviating hot flashes, and reducing risk of breast and prostate cancer.

For more on soy and women's health, including detailed scientific references, click here.