Let’s just say it, hot flashes are a drag. I am a woman in my 50’s who, over a year ago or so, began experiencing multiple hot flashes a day, as well as often feeling warmer than everyone else in the room.
Fortunately, I love to learn about nutrition and wellness and routinely listen to a podcast titled “The Exam Room.” I also follow PCRM, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Dr. Neal Barnard and his work. While listening to this podcast, I learned of a study called the WAVS trial (Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms). Here is a PCRM story about it. What I learned was a game changer. The intervention group was instructed to eat a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based/vegan diet, including a half cup of cooked soybeans every day for 12 weeks. The control group made no dietary changes.
For someone like me, the results were amazing. The women in the intervention group saw a reduction in their hot flashes by 79% and for women who had more frequent and intense hot flashes, they had a reduction of 84%.
I already eat a vegan diet, so no problem there. So, I made sure I was more conscious of the fat content and began eating more tofu and edamame. At first, I didn’t experience a profound result. Then I heard another podcast where Dr. Barnard mentioned that the actual soybean is the best option because it has a lot more isoflavones in the mature bean then tofu, edamame or soy milk. Those are still great options, but not as potent as the mature bean.
So, I bought dry soybeans, soaked and cooked them, and then added them to my daily diet. I also added some herbs and spices and roasted them in the Air Fryer. That was perfect. They tasted great and I can eat them as a snack or add them to a salad, etc.
What a difference. My hot flashes reduced dramatically in just a few days, and in two weeks I lost 3 pounds without changing anything else. I have been struggling with taking off some extra pounds accumulated since I started this hormonal change journey, so this was and still is an awesome bonus. I also feel great and full of energy. As of now, I can’t remember when I last had a hot flash.
I am not giving medical advice of any kind, so it is always good to check in with your doctor. However, I felt compelled to share this information, in case it may help other women who also might be struggling with hot flashes and perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. The diet mixed with the soybeans was the key for me.
I recommend reading through the study.
