Having hot flushes? Pass the soya...
Soya can help to ease menopause misery - find out how much you need to eat. By Anita Bean
If hot flushes are making your life a misery, try adding soya to your daily diet.
New research from Italy found women consuming soya protein experienced a 41% reduction in hot flushes, compared with a 29% improvement in a placebo group. The difference was significant after six weeks of consuming soya, but the greatest benefit was experienced after 12 weeks.
In Asian countries where soya is a dietary staple, women tend to get fewer hot flushes - with 5-18% affected compared with 70% of women in the UK. Scientists attribute the benefit to soya isoflavones, which mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body. Aim for 80mg a day, which equals one or two servings of the following foods:
◆ 115g (3¾oz) tofu
◆ 1 cup (225ml) soya milk
◆ 125g (4oz) whole soya beans, such as edamame
◆ 1 pot (150g) soya yogurt
◆ 60g (2½oz) tempeh (an Indonesian soya cake, from major supermarkets)
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