Learn How To Use Soy Products For Menopause Relief

By Kendra L. Linhardt


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.

The majority of women experience unpleasant side effects including vaginal atrophy and hot flashes when the production of hormones reduces. Thankfully, simple dietary changes can reduce a number of menopausal symptoms. One of these changes is to take more soy products. It is possible to utilize soy nuts for hot flashes.

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.



The interest in soy and how it helps relieve hot flashes began when researchers in Japan concluded that the low frequency of hot flashes in Japanese women could be due to the fact that they consume many soy foods in their lifetime. Fortunately, soy is also beneficial for women who have never consumed soy food. Phytoestrogens relieve hot flashes, but they many not relive this symptom if it is serious. When using any natural treatment, allowing some time for the treatment to take effect is essential. Generally, women who choose to eat soy foods can begin seeing results after a period of four to twelve days.

According to some experts, most menopausal women now use natural remedies to cope with symptoms like night sweating, hot flashes and mood swings. They do this because they are afraid of the side effects of hormone replacement therapy. Several studies show that women who take a large amount of soy based phytoestrogens experience fewer menopausal complications.

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.

The effects of isoflavones do not last very long. Therefore soy supplements or foods should be taken several times a day. Ideally, women should ingest forty to eighty milligrams of isoflavones every day. They should also note that soy protein differs from soy isoflavone. Although some soy foods contain high protein, they do not have a high amount of isoflavones.

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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