The Importance Of Soy Products For Menopause Relief

By Naomi Waters


Almost all health-related magazines, documentaries and TV shows have hitherto, shouted out the myriad benefits of soy and its products in a wide range of health complications, spanning from breast cancer, osteoporosis, and the heart illness. Examples of soy products include soy milk, soy beans, soy cheese, and soy protein, among others. Some companies have also developed some soy pills and powders from soy phytochemicals, and have widely pronounced them to be natural healers for menopausal discomforts, and also other illnesses. It is not however not authenticated that soy products for menopause relief play a vital role in managing menopause symptoms.

However, all these soy extracts are not safe solutions for menopause relief, as will be discussed below. It is undeniably true that soy is rich in isoflavones, which are type of phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are chemical elements found in plants, and which play similar roles with estrogens. The human body can substitute them for estrogens.



Since time immemorial, menopause-related symptoms have usually been treated using conventional medicines. However, of late, women have been found to be more intrigued in using natural mechanisms to alleviate these discomforts. Natural approaches have been widely approved by large masses of people, and this has been poised to be the reason behind the making of alternatives to these conventional healers by many supplement and food industries, like the soy foods industry.

The message that soy phytoestrogens act in similar capacity as surrogate estrogens has been widely spread, and this thereby gives women the general impression that they can alternatively prefer soy products to relieve symptoms of dwindling estrogen levels at their menopausal stage, albeit naturally. However, the research does not confirm that isoflavones act as estrogens, and therefore the conclusion that they are all a woman needs to alleviate her menopausal symptoms, cannot be completely validated.

That said, it is also worth noting that soy phytoestrogens do not have many positive effects on vasomotor signs, for example vaginal dryness, hot flashes and also night sweats. Recent researches carried out by multiple organizations and health agencies revealed that women who utilized phytoestrogen-rich soy products noticed a reduction in the ramifications of their hot flashes, by up to fifty percent.

These soy phytoestrogens and estrogens however, only diminish the impact and intensity of hot flashes, and not completely eradicating them, like conventional estrogens which eliminate them in a faster fashion. The isoflavones in soy products are aromatase inhibitors, and this reduces the levels of estrogen made in the body. This is as confirmed by several recent studies. This is contradictory to earlier claims that they aid in the treatment of vasomotor symptoms.

The use of soy does not effectively solve the menace of hot flashes or any other discomforts of menopause. The hormonal mimics they harbor, called isoflavones, instead, cause disruptions to the hormonal systems of the body, which are highly delicate. Further disorders like insomnia and mood swings among others, are also resultant.

This further causes several disorders like insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, digestive problems and other food allergies. The most harmful forms of soya are argued to be infant soy formula and soy protein powders. In conclusion, it is clear that though soy products can play some part in alleviating discomforts associated with menopause, it has not been confirmed that they are completely effective.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment