When we think ‘soy’ we generally think of its two major components, soy protein and soy isoflavones. Research on the possible benefits of soy for the relief of hot flashes, night sweats, and other common menopause discomforts have looked at either soy isoflavones alone or soy protein that contains the isoflavones.  To date, the great majority of these studies have reported that soy protein with its isoflavones intact and purified soy isoflavones alone both help alleviate hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause discomforts. New studies continue to examine the benefits of soy for menopause discomforts in an attempt to look at specific populations and to determine the amount of isoflavones needed to provide the best menopause relief.
Read More »

Perimenopause is a natural stage of a woman’ life during which hormone levels, particularly estrogen, begin to decline naturally and gradually due to a slowing in the production of these hormones by the ovaries.  This can typically start in a woman’s late-30s to mid-40s and can last for several years.  While this change during perimenopause usually goes unnoticed in the beginning, declining estrogen levels eventually reach a point where women start to experience irregular menstrual periods as well as signs often thought of as belonging solely to menopause itself.  These perimenopause (and menopause) discomforts include hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, mood changes, and more.  Unfortunately, perimenopause can last for several years and officially does not end until a woman misses 12 consecutive menstrual periods, at which point she has reached menopause.
Read More »

Menopause weight gain is something that most women struggle with as they go through the menopausal transition.  Research studies report that the menopausal transition is linked to a menopause weight gain of 4 – 6 pounds over a 3-year period.  However, this is only an average and, unfortunately, many women experience a more dramatic menopause weight gain.  In addition to menopause weight gain, the menopausal transition is linked to increased abdominal fat and decreased calories burned. Finding ways to increase calorie burning and prevent menopause weight gain is important to the quality of life of women undergoing the menopausal transition.
Read More »

Help with hot flashes (also called hot flushes) is easy and delicious with doctor-recommended Revival Soy.

Scientists became very interested in soy’s potential ability to help with hot flashes and night sweats after population studies revealed that only ~10-20% of women living in Asia, where the diet is rich in soy, experienced hot flushes during mid-life, in contrast to almost ~80-90% of Western women who experience menopausal discomforts.  This interest lead to numerous research studies designed to actually test the ability of soy protein and/or soy isoflavones to help with hot flushes.  The results of these studies suggest that soy protein and soy isoflavones can indeed help with hot flashes [1-3].   Interestingly, many of the studies testing the benefits of soy protein and soy isoflavones for help with hot flashes only tested these specific ingredients and not finished soy food products.
Read More »

As we have discussed in several previous blogs, soy foods and soy isoflavones can help alleviate common mild discomforts associated with the natural aging transition through menopause including hot flashes and night sweats.  We have often been asked whether there is a best time to consume soy for these particular benefits.  This is an excellent question, especially considering that soy isoflavones generally peak in our bodies about 6 – 9 hours after consumption and then begin to slowly decline.  Based on this, one might guess that achieving peak soy isoflavone blood levels around the time a person typically experiences their  menopausal discomforts would be the ideal approach.  Unfortunately, there has been little research on the timing of soy consumption and the relief of common menopausal discomforts like hot flashes and night sweats.

In an attempt to answer this question, a new menopause study was conducted in over 1,400 postmenopausal women experiencing hot flashes [1].  For this study, postmenopausal women were assigned to one of two groups.  The postmenopausal women in Group 1 took a capsule (containing 60 mg soybean extract (40% total isoflavones), primrose oil, and vitamin E) every morning for three months, after which they took the capsule every afternoon for another 3 months.  The postmenopausal women in Group 2 took the soy isoflavone – containing capsule in the afternoon during the first three months and in the morning for the second 3 months.  Menopausal discomforts were assessed at the start of the study, after 3 months, and at the end of the study (6 months) with commonly used postmenopausal quality of life scales.  The results of this study showed that both groups of women obtained substantial relief from hot flashes with this soy isoflavone-containing capsule and that the benefits were the same whether it was taken in the morning or the afternoon.

This is a fascinating study that has made an initial attempt at exploring a question in need of an answer.  While confirmation of these results in a placebo-controlled study where the volunteers don’t know which capsule they are receiving would be beneficial, these initial results suggest that it doesn’t matter when during the day one chooses to consume their favorite soy foods.  Furthermore, this new soy research study continues to confirm the potential benefits of soy foods and/or soy isoflavones for the relief of hot flashes.

Despite the fact that this current study suggests soy consumption at any time of the day can help relieve mild discomforts commonly associated with menopause, the time period when soy isoflavones reach their peak in our bodies after consumption suggests that there still might be an ideal time for some individuals to consume their soy.  Therefore, if you do not feel that you are getting the results you want, you might want to try a couple of different strategies to maximize your personal results. First, you could try eating a small amount of soy food in the morning and another small amount of soy food later in the day in an attempt to give yourself a more even soy isoflavone concentration throughout the day.  Alternatively, you might try consuming at least some of your soy foods about 6 – 9 hours before you generally experience most of your menopausal discomforts.  Find what works best for you and start living a life you love!

Start experiencing fewer hot flashes and night sweats with Dr. Tabor’s clinically tested Revival® soy protein shakes, bars, snacks, and other delicious products.*

Reference:

[1]  Hidalgo MJC, Branco CC.  Optimizing soy isoflavones effect in postmenopausal women: the impact of timing on climacteric symptoms.  Gynecological Endocrinology 2010; Early Online Publication; doi: 10.3109/09513590.2010.526665.

Scientists became very interested in soy’s potential role for reducing hot flashes after demographic studies revealed that only about 10 – 20% of women living in Asia, where the diet is rich in soy, experienced hot flashes during mid-life.  This is in marked contrast to the approximately 80 – 90% of Western women who experience hot flashes.  Research over the last 20 years or more has suggested that soy can help relieve mild common discomforts associated with menopause.

A new menopause research study [1] compared the effectiveness of a soy shake or a placebo on menopausal discomforts in 60 Brazilian women between the ages of 40-60 years and had become postmenopausal.  The soy shake used in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was given in two portions per day and provided a total of 24 grams of soy protein and 90 milligrams of soy isoflavones (53 milligrams in aglycone equivalents).  Study volunteers received the placebo or soy shake daily for 16 weeks.  Changes in somatic (e.g. hot flashes) menopause discomforts were measured with the Menopause Rating Scale at the beginning and end of the study.  The study investigators reported that:

• Improvements were observed in hot flashes in all groups of postmenopausal women; however, improvements were substantially greater in the soy shake group (about 50%) compared to the placebo group (about 30%).

Read More »

Menopause is a natural part of aging and not a disease. However, hot flashes and night sweats can make life uncomfortable for many years. A great deal of attention has been focused on soy for menopause relief. Women in Asian cultures have a very low incidence of hot flashes and other menopausal discomforts, such as night sweats. Dietary differences may be one possible reason for the low incidence of menopausal discomforts in these cultures. Asian women typically consume more vegetables, grains, and beans and less animal protein compared to women in Western cultures. Since soy is a major component of Asian diets, soy for menopause has become an active area of medical investigation.

Other studies of soy and menopause also suggest that dietary soy for menopause relief may be beneficial. In one study of soy and menopause, soy isoflavones were reported to increase the percent of women who no longer endured hot flashes and reduced the number of hot flashes in other women (Medical Reference 2). In another study on soy and menopause, it was reported that soy isoflavones reduced a large number of menopausal discomforts (Medical Reference 3). While few studies on soy and menopause have examined different amounts of isoflavones, there is evidence that higher amounts may be important. A recent study showed that 35 mg of soy isoflavones had no effect, while 70 mg effectively reduced hot flashes (Medical Reference 4). These and other studies on soy and menopause indicate that the positive effects of soy for menopause relief are often observed within 1 – 3 months of regular soy consumption (Medical References 5, 6). In some studies these reductions were not always significantly different from the placebo control group.

In summary, numerous studies on soy and menopause relief have shown that soy isoflavones can have a positive effect on menopausal hot flashes and that these beneficial effects may be related to initial hot flash frequency and intensity.

Start reducing hot flashes now with Dr. Tabor’s Revival® soy protein shakes, bars, snacks, and other delicious products.*

Medical References

1. Messina M, Hughes C. Efficacy of soy foods and soybean isoflavone supplements for alleviating menopausal symptoms is positively related to initial hot flash frequency. J Med Food 2003; 6:1-11
2. Nahas EP, Neto JN, De Luca L, Traiman P, Pontes A, Dalben I. Benefits of soy germ isoflavones in postmenopausal women with contraindication for conventional hormone replacement therapy. Maturitas 2004; 48:372-380.
3. Han KK, Soares Jr JM, Haidar MA, de Lima GR, Baracat EC. Benefits of soy isoflavone therapeutic regimen on menopausal symptoms. Obstet Gynecol 2002; 99:389-394
4. Jou HJ, Ling PY, Wu SC. Comparison of 70 mg and 35 mg isoflavone soya supplement for menopause symptoms. Intl J Gynecol Obstet 2005; (In Press)
5. Crisafulli A, Marini H, Bitto A, Altavilla D, Squadrito G, Romeo A, Adamo EB, Marini R, D’Anna R, Corrado F, Batolone S, Frisina N, Squadrito F. Effects of genistein on hot flushes in early postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, EPT- and placebo-controlled study. Menopause 2004; 11:400-404.
6. Ricciotti HA, Khaodhiar L, Blackburn GL. Daidzein-rich isoflavone-aglycones for menopausal symptoms. Intl J Gynecol Obstet 2005; 89:65-66

Menopause hot flashes and night sweats are a normal part of aging, but can cause discomfort for many years for many women. In general, menopause help is discussed in terms of reductions in hot flashes, since they are the most common discomfort.

Research has shown that different populations often experience different hot flash rates. In a Japanese study, only 24% of perimenopausal women and 29% of postmenopausal women experienced hot flashes (Medical Reference 1). Studies in China have reported that less than 25% of postmenopausal women endured hot flashes (Medical References 2-4). In contrast, it has been reported that approximately 40-90% of U.S. women experience uncomfortable hot flashes (Medical Reference 5-10). It has been suggested that dietary differences, including soy protein consumption, may be partly responsible for the fewer menopause hot flashes observed in Eastern and Asian countries.

Many studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of soy protein products for menopause hot flash reduction (Medical References 11-13). The results of these studies are considerably varied with menopause hot flash reduction improved from approximately 20-70% from the beginning of the study. On average soy protein products appear to provide menopause help by reducing hot flashes by about 45% on average. Additionally, some of these studies reported that consumption of soy protein products helped improve overall menopause discomfort scores and quality of life (Medical References 14, 15). Other studies have reported that soy isoflavones, the phytonutrient substances found in soy, may help reduce hot flashes and provide overall menopause comfort (Medical References 15-19). There is no consensus regarding whether a specific group of women receive greater menopause hot flash reduction, or if different amounts provide different effectiveness; however, there is some evidence that women who endure more than 5 hot flashes per day receive the greatest menopause help from soy (Medical Reference 12) and that higher amounts of soy protein may provide additional menopause hot flash reduction (Medical Reference 20). In some studies these reductions were not always significantly different from the placebo control group. Overall these studies suggest that the addition of soy protein products to the diet may provide natural hot flash help.

Delicious soy protein products include soy bars, soy shakes, soy nuts, soy protein chips, and soy pastas. Soy protein products provide an easy and convenient way to incorporate soy into your diet for menopause help.

Start reducing hot flashes now with Dr. Tabor’s Revival® soy protein shakes, bars, snacks, and other delicious products.*

References

1. Melby MK. Vasomotory symptom prevalence and language of menopause in Japan. Menopause 2005; 12:250-257.
2. Shea JL. Parsing the ageing Asian woman: symptom results from the China Study of Midlife Women. Maturitas 2006; EPub ahead of print; doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2005.12.010
3. Chim H, Tan BH, Ang CC, Chew EM, Chong YS, Saw SM. The prevalence of menopausal symptoms in a community in Singapore. Maturitas 2002; 41:275-282.
4. Haines CJ, Chung TKH, Leung DHY. A prospective study of the frequency of acute menopause symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women. Maturitas 1994; 18:175-181.
5. Gold EB, Sternfeld B, Kelsey JL, Brown C, Mouton C, Reame N, Salamone L, Stellato R. Relation of demographic and lifestyle factors to symptoms in multi-racial/ethnic population of women 40-55 years of age. American Journal of Epidemiology 2000; 152:463-473.
6. Xu J, Bartoces M, Neale AV, Dailey RK, Northrup J, Schwartz KL. Natural history of menopause symptoms in primary care patients: a MetroNet Study. Journal of the American Board of Family Pract 2005; 18:374-382
7. Randolph Jr. JF, Sowers MF, Bondarenko I, Gold EB, Greendale GA, Bromberger JT, Brockwell SE, Matthews KA. The relationship of longitudinal change in reproductive hormones and vasomotor symptoms during the menopausal transition. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2005: 90:6106-6112.
8. Whiteman MK, Staropoli CA, Langenbert PW, McCarter RJ, Kjerulff KH, Flaws JA. Smoking, body mass, and hot flashes in midlife women. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2003; 101:264-272.
9. Barnabei VM, Grady D, Stovall DW, Cauley JA, Lin F, Stuenkel CA, Stefanick ML, Pickar JH. Menopausal symptoms in older women and the effects of treatment with hormone therapy. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2002; 100:1209-1218.
10. Feldman BM, Voda A, Gronseth E. The prevalence of hot flash and associated variables among perimenopausal women. Res Nurs Health 1985; 8:261-268.
11. Kronenbert F, Fugh-Berman A. Complementary and alternative medicine for menopausal symptoms: a review of randomized, controlled trials. Annals of Internal Medicine 2002; 137:805-813.
12. Messina M, Hughes C. Efficacy of soyfoods and soybean isoflavone supplements for alleviating menopausal symptoms is positively related to initial hot flush frequency. Journal of Medicinal Food 2003; 6:1-11.
13. Huntley AL, Ernst E. Soy for the treatment of perimenopausal symptoms – a systematic review. Maturitas 2004; 47:1-9.
14. Dupree K, Basaria S, Ojumu A, Bruno TW, John M, Wisniewski A, Dobs AS. Effects of Soy on Quality of Life in Post-Menopausal Women. The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting 2005, San Diego, CA, June 4 – 7 (Abstract).
15. Han KK, Soares JM, Haidar MA, de Lima GR, Baracat EC. Benefits of soy isoflavone therapeutic regimen on menopausal symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 2002;99:389-394.
16. Scambia G, Mango D, Signorile PG, Anselmi-Angeli RA, Palena C, Gallo D, Bombardelli E, Morazzoni P, Riva A, Mancuso S. Clinical effects of a standardized soy extract in postmenopausal women: a pilot study. Menopause. 2000;7:105-111.
17. Faure ED, Chantre P, Mares P. Effects of a standardized soy extract on hot flushes: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Menopause. 9:329-334.
18. Crisafulli A, Marini H, Bitto A, Altavilla D, Squadrito G, Romeo A, Adamo EB, Marini R, D’Anna R, Corrado F, Bartolone S, Frisina N, Squadrito F. Effects of genistein on hot flushes in early postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind EPT- and placebo-controlled study. Menopause. 2004;11:400-404.
19. Nahas EP, Neto JN, de Luca L, Traiman P, Pontes A, Dalben I. Benefits of soy germ isoflavones in postmenopausal women with contraindication for conventional hormone replacement therapy. Maturitas. 2004:48:372-380.
20. Jou HJ, Ling PY, Wu SC. Comparison of 70 mg and 35 mg isoflavone soya supplement for menopause symptoms. Intl J Gynecol Obstet 2005; (In Press)

Research has demonstrated that women gain weight as they age (sometimes referred to as the “midlife spread”) (Medical References 1, 2), and midlife menopause weight gain is a negative phenomenon that many women will experience. The Healthy Women’s Study reported menopause weight gain during the first three years of the study (Medical Reference 3). In addition to menopause weight gain, it has been reported that postmenopausal women gain more fat mass than premenopausal women (Medical Reference 4). These changes in menopause weight gain appear to be the result of reductions in metabolic rate and physical activity (Medical References 3-6).

Soy protein contains less fat and fewer calories than many other protein sources and research suggests that soy nutrition may help to fight menopause weight gain. One cross-sectional study (Medical Reference 7) reported that higher consumption of the soy isoflavone genistein (considered a soy phytonutrient)  was related to lower body weight, fat mass, and waist size. Similarly, it was reported that higher soy isoflavone intake was associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) (Medical Reference 8). This relationship between soy isoflavone consumption and body weight suggests beneficial effects of soy nutrition on menopause weight gain.
Read More »

To be effective, a menopause relief product must be able to reduce hot flashes, the one discomfort women endure the most. While menopause is a natural part of aging (and not a disease), many women experience uncomfortable hot flashes and night sweats for many years during midlife. Menopause reduction is often attempted by lifestyle and dietary modifications by many women.

Epidemiological research has shown that different cultures often experience different numbers of hot flashes and night sweats. This is especially true in Japan and China where only 25-30% of postmenopausal women are reported to experience hot flashes (Medical References 5-8). Unlike Asian populations, it has been reported that up to ~90% of U.S. women endure hot flashes (Medical References 9-14). One possible reason for this disparity between cultures is the soy protein diet consumed in countries like China and Japan. Thus, it has been hypothesized that soy consumption may be an effective dietary menopause hot flash reduction food.
Read More »