In our drug-happy society, we lose track of what it really means to be healthy. Often, we resort to drugs that may alleviate symptoms, despite side effects. They do in a pinch, but they seldom address the root cause of illness.
Reference
Healio Minute, August 16, 2021
Changes in diet reduce hot flashes by 84% without drugs
“Women who are experiencing hot flashes as part of menopause could benefit from changes in their diet without additional medication, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The nonprofit’s researchers report that a plant-based diet rich in soy reduces moderate to severe hot flashes by nearly 84%, from nearly five per day to fewer than one. Also, 59% of women became totally free of moderate to severe hot flashes, and overall hot flashes — including mild ones — decreased by 79% during the study. The researchers said these results show that dietary changes can be much more powerful for treating hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms, including night sweats and flushes, than previously thought. No hormone medications or extracts were involved in the study. The researchers instead used a low-fat, plant-based diet with half a cup of soybeans added to a soup or salad each day.
“This is a game changer for women aged 45 and over, most of whom we now know can get prompt relief from the most severe and troubling menopause symptoms without drugs,” researcher Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said in a press release. As many as 80% of postmenopausal women experience hot flashes, the PCRM said. Although estrogen-based medications at one point were used to treat hot flashes, they since have been shown to increase the risk for breast cancer and other problems. Also, PCRM said that isoflavone extracts have modest effects, leaving women with few treatment options. In the WAVS trial — the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms — Barnard and colleagues randomly assigned 38 women who experienced two or more hot flashes a day to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group began a low-fat vegan diet including half a cup (86g) of cooked soybeans daily for 12 weeks. The control group had no changes in their diet. Seventeen women remained in each group through the end of the study period.”
