A recent study has found that a vegan diet, including soybeans, can help alleviate hot flashes, a typical menopausal disorder that appears with menopause.
A vegan diet refers to a complete vegetarian diet that does not consume any food derived from animals.
Hot flashes are a vasomotor symptom (VMS) that appears after menopause, characterized by a sudden feeling of warmth in the face and upper body. Once started, it can last from a few seconds to an hour, and in severe cases, can occur up to 20 times a day.
Dr. Hana Kahleova, head of the research lab at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in the U.S., announced a research result that a vegan diet can reduce hot flashes by up to 95%, according to Medical News Today on the 23rd.
The research team said this was revealed in a clinical trial conducted on 84 menopausal women who participated in the Women’s Vasomotor Symptoms Relief Study (WAVS).
They were randomly divided into two groups. One group followed a vegan diet, including a half cup of cooked soybeans daily for 12 weeks, while the other group continued their usual diet.
Stool samples were collected from 11 individuals in the vegan diet group before and after the clinical trial to analyze whether there were changes in the gut microbiota due to the vegan diet.
The research team announced that the frequency of hot flashes in the vegan diet group decreased by 95% compared to the group that continued their usual diet.
Moderate to severe hot flashes decreased by 96%. Daytime hot flashes decreased by 96%, and nighttime hot flashes decreased by 94%.
The vegan diet group also lost an average of 6.4 pounds during the 12 weeks.
Changes in the gut microbiota were also observed after the vegan diet.
The bacteria Porphyromonas and Prevotella copri increased, while Clostridium asparagiforme decreased.
A vegan diet including soybeans is rich in dietary fiber and isoflavones. These two nutrients help increase gut bacteria that suppress inflammation and stabilize estrogen secretion.
The research team speculated that the change in gut microbiota due to the vegan diet helped alleviate hot flashes.
80% of menopausal women experience hot flashes. Research results show that hot flashes are associated with osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s dementia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
While estrogen and progestin drugs can be used to treat hot flashes, they are known to potentially increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
This research result was published in the latest issue of Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
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