Learn How To Use Soy Products For Menopause Relief

By Carla A. Demtrius


All women experience menopause after attaining the age of 40 to 60 years. This is a time when the ovaries do not produce the estrogen and progesterone hormones. These hormones control the menstrual cycle and after the ovaries stop secreting them, the menstrual cycle stops.

After reaching menopause, most women suffer from uncomfortable side effects such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness because of the diminished levels of hormones in their bodies. Thankfully, women can tweak their diets in order to minimize menopausal symptoms. One of the things they can do is to consume more products that contain soy. Taking soy products for hot flashes is effective.

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.



Researchers were first interested in studying the effects of soy on menopause symptoms after they discovered that Japanese women experienced hot flashes less often. They attributed this to the consumption of many soy foods throughout the lifespan of these women. You can also benefit from soy even if you have never used it in your life. Phytoestrogens can relieve hot flashes effectively, but they may fail to eliminate this menopausal symptom totally if it is severe. For this treatment to take effect, it should be given sufficient time. Generally, the results can be noticed after four to twelve days.

Many women who have reached menopause choose to use natural remedies in order to cope with mood swings, hot flashes and night sweating. They prefer natural remedies because of fearing the side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy. Studies indicate that women can experience fewer menopausal complications if they increase the intake of soy based phytoestrogens.

Some of the soy products you can use include soy milk, tofu, edamame, soy nuts, soy hot dogs, soy burgers, soy ice cream, miso and many other foods to which soy protein or soy has been added. Using soy products daily has no known risks. However, for some individuals, soy foods upset the digestive system. The long term effects of a diet high in soy have not been studied well. Your goal should be to consume an average amount of soy in your diet.

Isoflavones are short acting. When using soy products for health reasons, it is advisable to try to ingest 40 to 80 milligrams of isoflavones daily. You should also remember that soy protein is not the same as soy isoflavone. Therefore, high protein soy foods may not contain a large amount of isoflavones in them.

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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