Some studies have shown that eating foods rich in soy protein can reduce both the frequency and the intensity of hot flashes, the most common menopause-related complaint among American women, but others have shown no such effect. Soy contains plant hormones called phytoestrogens that act like weak estrogens in your body. If you're troubled by hot flashes, you may want to try working soy foods into your diet. Try cooked soybeans, throw tofu into soups and stir-fries, pour soy milk on your cereal, snack on roasted soy nuts, and sprinkle soy protein powder (look for "Supro" on the label) into orange juice and smoothies. Twenty grams or two servings a day -- a glass of soy milk and half a cup of tofu -- may help.

One word of caution about soy: Some studies have shown that genistein, one of the isoflavones in soy, can stimulate the growth of estrogen-receptive breast cancer and interfere with the effectiveness of the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen. So women with who have had estrogen-receptive tumors or are taking tamoxifen should steer clear of extra soy unless their doctor gives them the green light.

You may also want to avoid foods that contain caffeine, alcohol, hot spices, or chocolate, as well as foods served at a hot temperature, all of which can trigger hot flashes in some women. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day can often help as well.

To reduce your risk of heart disease, which climbs as the estrogen in your body declines, limit your intake of saturated fat, the kind that hardens at room temperature, and eat plenty of fiber, the crunchy stuff found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But soy can be useful here, too. Getting at least 30 grams (three servings) a day can lower your LDL or bad cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease.

Start with dairy products to keep your bones from thinning after menopause. Even if you're on hormone replacement therapy, you'll want to make sure you're getting plenty of calcium, the mineral your body uses to build and maintain strong bones. To meet your daily requirement of 1,200 milligrams through your diet, you need at least four servings of calcium-rich foods every day. One cup of skim milk, yogurt, or calcium-fortified orange juice contains about 300 mg. If you suspect that you're not getting enough calcium, consider taking a calcium carbonate supplement. Look for one that includes vitamin D to help your bones absorb the mineral.

What else? You guessed it; soy figures here, too. One serving of tofu processed with calcium sulfate provides you with 150 mg of calcium. But it's the phytoestrogens in soy that researchers think may help slow bone loss and even build up bone, since these chemicals seem to function like estrogen in so many ways. Several studies have found that consumption of soy protein with isoflavones helps to slow bone loss in postmenopausal women. One study found that postmenopausal women who ate 40 grams of soy protein every day for six months increased the bone mass in their spines by 2 percent, while those who didn't eat soy continued to lose bone.

-- Kristin Kloberdanz, M.A., a former associate editor for Consumer Health Interactive, is an editor at Book magazine in New York City.

Further Resources

Roberta Larson Duyuff, MS, RD, CFCS, The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food &Nutrition Guide. Chronimed Publishing, 1996, 1998.

References

First published February 4, 1999
Last updated December 14, 2007
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

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