Using Soy Products And Supplements During Menopause

In Japan, the soybean (or Glycine max in Latin) serves as the dietary staple. Unlike Americans, who rely on meat and dairy products to meet their protein needs, the Japanese eat soy flour, tofu, soymilk, and tempeh. The fact that few Oriental women rarely complain of menopausal symptoms and that their rates of post-menopause osteoporosis, breast cancer, and heart disease are miniscule has led researchers to take a closer look at soy. What they found is that there are substances in soy protein called phytoestrogens(or isoflavones) that are almost identical in make-up to the human hormone estrogen. Since the lack of estrogen at menopause leads to all sorts of unpleasant and potentially life-threatening problems, they guessed that these phytoestrogens could mimic its role in the female body. In the last few years, explanations have finally been made about how and why soy can be so useful during menopause. However, first you will need to understand how decreased hormone levels can cause illness.

As mentioned earlier, heat fluctuations like hot flashes and night sweats are the most common side effects of menopause. This is because one of estrogen's jobs is to regulate the body's temperature. Without enough of the hormone, menopausal women find that a feeling of extreme warmth constantly overwhelms them until their bodies adapt to the change. This process can take months or years, depending on the woman, and can be almost impossible to live with in more severe cases. When a woman consumes soy products with enough phytoestrogens, the plant hormones travel to hormone "docks" throughout the body called hormone receptors. Normally, estrogen would attach to these points to provide its benefits to different parts of the body. The phytoestrogens behave in the same way, essentially controlling the body's thermostat as the missing estrogen once did.

Estrogen is also responsible for helping the body build and maintain bone mass, a job that is left empty once women reach menopause. At this point, the bones can begin to weaken considerably, a condition called osteoporosis. Of course, sufficient calcium intake throughout life can help combat the condition, but the majority of women do not realize this until bone mass becomes a problems. Again, phytoestrogens can behave like estrogen if consumed regularly. What is interesting about soy protein is how much more effective it is at combating osteoporosis in menopause than standard medications. Not only have studies found that soy estrogens keep the bones from degenerating, but they also work to build new bone. This is largely because of the high calcium content of soy, which is equal to what you would get from a glass of milk.

One of the many roles estrogen plays throughout life is to protect women from the factors that contribute to heart disease like high blood pressure and blocked arteries. Unfortunately, once hormone levels drop in women, their risk of heart attack and stroke skyrockets to equal that of their male counterparts. Standard medication can help prevent this, but so can soy. The phytoestrogens in soy have been proven to raise "good" cholesterol levels HDL and lower LDL levels. They also stop the growth of the cells that result in artery-blocking plaque. Furthermore, soy estrogen keeps blood platelets from sticking together and forming possibly deadly blood clots. In short, soy is an ideal cardiovascular support food. Also due to a lack of estrogen, breast and endometrial cancers are extremely common during menopause. The estrogen that once protected the breasts and reproductive organs from carcinogenic invaders disappears. When enough soy hormones are consumed, they provide a new wall of defense to these organs, thus apparently fighting deadly cancers in a way that no modern medicine yet developed can.

So why, you may ask, does a soybean plant make a hormone almost exactly like human estrogen? Scientists have a very compelling answer to this question. They believe that the plant is defending itself. Basically, herbivores (deer, cows, etc.) eat the plants. If they eat too many, the phytoestrogens will inhibit their reproductive abilities because they fight for hormone receptors with the animal's natural estrogen. Thus, the soy plants are not completely devoured and the animals can rear young -- a harmonious balance. Another question you may have is how much soy someone has to eat to get these results. The answer is that no one knows exactly. The range in Asian cultures is between 20 and 200 milligrams of soy consumption daily, which is a huge gap if you are not a tofu fan. Luckily, much more palatable soy foods are available (like chocolate soymilk) as well as soy pills. Again, it is uncertain what the right dosage is, since the preparation determines how many phytoestrogens are in a given food or pill.

With all of the evidence showing soy's benefits, both for menopause and throughout life, it may be worthwhile to add this traditionally "vegetarians only" food to your diet. Not only could it save you from serious medical problems, but it would also give you control over your own health instead of leaving you dependant on a life-long medicine regimen. Best of all, you may just find that you like soy products. After all, it is a cholesterol-free food with almost no saturated fat, which you will never see on the label of a steak.