Soybeans - A good food for women going through menopause.

Menopause is a natural change in a woman's body, usually occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. This is when the hormones that regulate bodily functions become severely deficient because the ovaries no longer release eggs.

Hormone deficiency, in which estrogen plays a crucial role, causes many adverse physical and psychological changes during menopause, especially during the "transition" phase. Estrogen deficiency causes menopausal women to frequently experience hot flashes, night sweats, stress, and irritability.

On the other hand, menopausal women often experience vaginal dryness and decreased libido. The lack of estrogen makes the bones of menopausal women more prone to fractures due to calcium loss, leading to more porous bones; at the same time, estrogen deficiency can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Benefits of soybeans

Meanwhile, women in some Asian countries, particularly Japan, experience less discomfort during menopause compared to those in North America or Europe. Japan doesn't even have a term to describe hot flashes, the most common discomfort during menopause.

Many researchers have found that one of the main reasons for this phenomenon is that many Japanese women consume soy as a daily food, and soy contributes to providing estrogen to further regulate bodily functions.

Soybeans are one of the foods rich in isoflavones, which are a type of plant-based estrogen. Isoflavones function similarly to female estrogen, but with a weaker effect. Many researchers have noted that the concentration of isoflavones (in the urine) of Japanese women is 100 to 1,000 times higher than that of women in the United States or Finland.

Soybeans provide isoflavones that reduce discomfort and lower health risks during menopause in women.

Numerous studies worldwide have confirmed the effectiveness of soy in reducing discomfort during menopause. A group of Italian doctors found that the frequency of hot flashes decreased by 45% in menopausal women who consumed 60g of soy daily (equivalent to 76mg of isoflavones) for 12 weeks.

A diet rich in soy may help stabilize blood pressure and reduce menopausal discomfort without the side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy. Soy also helps increase calcium absorption into bones and prevent osteoporosis, thereby reducing the risk of fractures. Researchers in Australia observed a 5.2% increase in bone density after a 12-week high-soy diet.

If this diet is followed for up to six months, bone density in menopausal women increases significantly. However, the question of what percentage of soy in the diet is needed to be effective remains unanswered.

Thus, there is growing evidence that soy may alleviate discomfort and reduce health risks during menopause, a period that is quite challenging for many women.

Soybeans provide isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen, which is beneficial for menopausal women who often experience estrogen deficiency due to ovarian inactivity. A diet rich in soybeans is an easy, inexpensive, and beneficial option that can help alleviate the discomfort of menopause.

According to Health & Life