Two servings of soybeans a day can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes experienced by about 75%. women in the menopausal period – argue US scientists, whose conclusions appeared in the journal Menopause.
Previous studies on the effectiveness of soy in relieving distressing hot flashes have not yielded clear results, mainly due to the small number of participants and the lack of consistency in the methodology, researchers from the University of Delaware note.
The Americans compared 19 analyzes in which over 1,2 thousand people participated. women and found that daily consumption of 54 milligrams of soy isoflavones (compounds with mild estrogen-like effects) for a period of six weeks to a year reduces the frequency of hot flashes by more than 20 percent and their severity by 26 percent. compared to placebo.
In studies where participants took soy isoflavones for 12 weeks or more, the frequency of hot flushes was three times more frequent than in the shorter follow-up periods.
Supplements containing at least 19 milligrams of genistein, one of the two main isoflavones found in soy, have been shown to be most effective.
The growing interest in using soy to relieve menopausal symptoms came after Japanese scientists concluded that the high consumption of isoflavones among Japanese women may explain why they are less likely to suffer from hot flashes.
Although soy is a regular part of the diet in this country, including it in the menu after the age of 50 also helps, the researchers note. Two cups of soy milk contain, for example, about 50 mg of isoflavones.