Medical research in America has shown that soya could help prevent or alleviate some of the symptoms of the menopause and thereby avoid the use of hormone replacement therapy.

The double-blind study involving 43 women aged 45-55 W2S carried out at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in North Carolina with half the women being given soya and half a placebo. The women in the treatment group were given powdered soya protein which they sprinkled on cereals or mixed into drinks.

The results revealed that the women taking soya suffered fewer hot flushes and night sweats. Whilst an analysis of We data indicated that the results may considered statistically significant, some experts believe they need to be confirmed by more studies.

It has been well known for some time that soya is one of a number of phytoesterols (plants rich in natural oestrogens). Although weaker in strength than animal sources, it has been postulated that soya, if taken in sufficient quantities, helps with menopausal symptoms which are due to the loss of oestrogen.

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Maryon Stewart, founder of the 17K Women’s Nutritional Advisory Service (WNAS) and author of Beat the Menopause Without HRT sacs soya and other phytoestrols are an established part of the organisation s approach. She said: they may well help 11) maintain falling Oestrogen 1evels at menopause and to protect against osteoporosis later in life’.

In addition to soya beans and soya products, the WNAS recommends celery, fennel, rhubarb, liquorice and ginsenq as sources of plant oestrogens to women seeking natural approaches to their menopausal condition.

An new soya-based supplement called Phytoest aimed at menopausal women who are looking for a natural alternative to HRT has been recently launched and a spokesman said: women are interested in natural alternatives to HRT and studies had shown that Asian women whose diet is heavily soya-based do not suffer the same level of problems at the menopause *

International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. March 199 - Vol 15,No 3 - Page7

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