Learn How To Use 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 is different from other plant foods because of its high protein content. It also contains isoflavones and fiber. Isoflavones are a kind of phytoestrogen, which is a chemical that is found in plants and functions like estrogen. The human body uses isoflavones like estrogen in a certain way. They have a beneficial effect on health. The most recent evidence comes from a review of nineteen studies that involved more than 1,200 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 soy products that menopausal women can eat or drink are miso, soy ice cream, soy hot dogs, soy nuts, edamame, tofu and soy milk as well as other foods containing soy or soy protein. There are no known risks of consuming foods containing soy every day, even though some people may experience stomach upset. Researchers have not studied the effects of using soy foods for many years. For the best outcome, women should seek to consume just an average amount of soy.

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.

Apart from using soy products for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, you can also use them for skin care. Soy is known to have several positive effects on the skin. Using soy products for skin care is a great way to tighten sagging skin, reverse sun damage and diminish wrinkles. Soy acts as a good moisturizer. Moisturizers that contain soy have a smoothing or softening effect. They also help even out the skin tone.




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