Plant-based eating just scored another win — this time for postmenopausal women. A new study published in Menopause found that switching from animal products to plant-based foods, including soy and even some ultra-processed vegan items, led to fewer severe hot flashes and more weight loss in just 12 weeks.
The randomized clinical trial, conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, followed 84 postmenopausal women who reported at least two moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily. Half followed a low-fat vegan diet that included half a cup of cooked soybeans each day. The other half continued their usual diet.
The results were dramatic:
Severe hot flashes dropped by 92% in the plant-based group, with no significant change in the control group.
Moderate-to-severe hot flashes fell by 88%, compared to just 34% in the control group.
On average, the vegan group lost about 8 pounds, while the control group lost less than 1 pound.
And here’s the kicker: the benefits held up whether women ate mostly whole plant foods or leaned on soy milk, veggie burgers and other vegan substitutes.
Researchers analyzed food intake using the NOVA classification system, which ranks foods by processing level. While ultra-processed animal products were linked to more symptoms and weight gain, the level of processing in plant-based foods didn’t seem to matter — suggesting it’s the switch to plants, not perfection, that makes the difference.
Dr. Hana Kahleova, one of the study’s authors, summed it up simply: a vegan diet, even with some processed foods, can be a “prescription for fighting hot flashes.”
This study was conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. No external funding source was specified.