As Menopause Awareness Month approaches in October, new findings suggest that many women may be missing out on a simple, non-drug strategy for easing hot flashes: diet.
A national poll of more than 1,100 women found that just 43% believed food choices influence the number and severity of hot flashes. The survey, conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Morning Consult, also revealed that nearly one in five women thought soy products should be avoided during menopause, despite evidence showing they may help.
Clinical research published in Menopause found that a low-fat, plant-based diet including soy significantly reduced hot flashes in postmenopausal women. In the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS), women who ate a daily half cup of cooked soybeans as part of a vegan diet reported an 88% reduction in moderate-to-severe hot flashes after 12 weeks. On average, participants also lost 8 pounds.
“Our research has found that a low-fat plant-based diet that includes soybeans can significantly reduce hot flashes and weight in postmenopausal women,” said Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee. “Women can even experience these health benefits when their diet includes plant-based foods that are considered ultra-processed — like soy milk and plant-based meat alternatives.”
The study included 84 postmenopausal women, half of whom were randomly assigned to the diet group. Results showed that symptom relief and weight changes occurred regardless of whether women ate minimally processed or more processed plant-based foods.
Menopause symptoms affect roughly 75% of women, yet they often go unaddressed in routine medical care. Advocates say that highlighting dietary strategies could give women another option beyond hormone therapy and medications.
“This Menopause Awareness Month — and all year long — I urge physicians and other clinicians to encourage their patients who are in any phase of menopause to try a plant-based diet to help fight hot flashes, reduce their weight if needed, and improve other health conditions,” said Vanita Rahman, MD, clinic director of the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The WAVS trial was funded by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit that conducts clinical nutrition research and promotes preventive medicine.