According earlier common belief, soy helps in easing menopausal symptoms. However latest study from researchers of Florida has shown quite a contrary result…According to this research soy supplements have no role in easing menopausal symptoms or even in preventing osteoporosis that has been a characteristic feature of early phases of menopause.

Since the results of WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study on hormone therapy reflected potential cancer and heart threats with progestin and estrogen replacement, use of soy supplements was considered a safer therapy to treat menopausal symptoms as it has not shown any such adverse side effects.

However, the detailed research on the ability of soy in calming the effects of menopause has come up with mixed results and with apparent conclusion that it has no or very little effect in controlling effects like hot sweats and night sweats or other menopausal effects.

The study

Dr. Silvina Levis along with her team from Miller School of Medicine in University of Miami has carried out this study on the group of 248 Hispanic women (that have recently entered in Menopausal phase) where they split them in two random groups. While one group had followed the 2 year regimen of daily consumption of 200 mg of soy isoflavones, the other group was kept on placebo pills.

The result

At the end of 2 years, the research team found that women from both group experienced similar gravity of menopausal symptoms (in fact, few women from soy diet group suffered more!) and reduction in bone mineral density for all these women was almost the same. This has clearly shown the inability of soy diet in getting menopausal symptoms controlled.

William Wong, another nutritionist from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston also agreed with the findings and stressed importance of calcium and vitamin D supplements along with regularity in physical activity in dealing with symptoms like osteoporosis during menopause.