Here’s an advice for middle-aged ladies! Soy sauce could reduce menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, sleeplessness and bone loss, a new study has claimed.
Scientists in Japan have carried out the study and found that soy contains a natural compound which can help reduce production of oestrogen, the hormone which contributes to menopausal problems in women. The study in Japan, where soy is consumed with meals regularly, found Asian women experienced milder menopausal symptoms than Americans and Europeans where use of soy is less frequent, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Soy has already been found to have anti-cancer properties and can lower cholesterol. Now, the scientists say the new wonder food could be an alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapy as a way of treating uncomfortable menopausal problems, such as hot flushes and even bone loss.
Experts at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo found women who consumed soy produced a chemical, called S-equol, which halted bone loss and fat accumulation in women in the early stages of the menopause. The menopause in women is associated with the body’s stage in life when levels of the hormone oestrogen decrease. It is common for the menopause to occur at about 50 years of age among Western women.
A reduction in production of oestrogen can be associated with bone loss. Less severe symptoms include hot flushes among menopausal women the world over. Despite decades of research the specific cause of hot flushes and why they occur is still not understood.