Health Specialist Lee Jordan reports new research found that Japanese women were less likely to experience menopause at certain ages because their diets had high levels of soy protein. Joan Clark says she began experiencing menopause symptoms three years ago. At that time, Clark decided to eat more soy products to help her sleep. It's effective because it contains phytoestrogens, which are chemical structures that are similar to estrogen found in the body, Jordan adds.
Women usually use a lot of estrogen when they grow older.
A study in Italy suggests soy can actually reduce hot flashes. This study took 12 weeks to follow two groups of postmenopausal women, ages 40 to 61 years old. They were all given 60 grams of soy protein or a placebo daily. Women who took soy reported 45 percent fewer hot flashes, while the placebo group reported only 30 percent fewer flashes. Clark says while eating soy can make menopause less stressful, don't expect it to work like Ibuprofen.