Food sources made from soybeans are rich in isoflavones – a type of plant-based chemical that has oestrogen-like effects.
22
These special chemicals attach to cells in the body in the same way as oestrogen does, meaning they may mimic oestrogen and, therefore, have a hormone-balancing effect on women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.22-24
In countries with high levels of soy consumption, the incidence of some menopause symptoms – specifically vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flushes and night sweats– are significantly lower than in Western countries. This connection has led to a few recent studies finding a positive link between the consumption of isoflavones and the incidence of
menopausal symptoms.
23,25
A recent study also reported that subjects who followed a plant-based diet rich in soy for 12 weeks experienced a 79% reduction in overall hot flushes and an 84% reduction in moderate-to-severe hot flushes.26
However, despite this positive correlation, scientists caution that more research is needed to understand the link between isoflavones and vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women.26