How I Went Through Menopause With Zero Hot Flashes

Karen Claffey
5 days ago
4 min read

In one word: SOY!

As long as I consumed soy a few times per week, I had no hot flashes. Zero. Nada.

To test this theory, I did an experiment. A few years ago, while going through menopause, I went off soy (tofu, tempeh and soymilk) for a couple of weeks. Lo and behold, I started feeling the beginning hints of hot flashes. I quickly resumed my normal routine, and the hot flashes never returned.

A study strongly supporting soy foods, was research from Italy published in 1998, which found a 45% reduction in hot flashes in women consuming soy protein, compared to a 30% improvement in the placebo group.

In research published in March 2002 in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, menopausal women took a daily dose of 100 mg of soy isoflavones (an estrogen-like constituent of soy that appears to be the key ingredient easing hot flashes). These women experienced a significant decline in their menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep difficulties. But in another study in 2002 at Tufts University, researchers found that after three months of soy supplementation, women had no more relief from hot flashes than another group taking a placebo pill.

Soy has been a controversial topic for the past few decades. When I bring up the tofu option with meat-eaters, there is usually one of three responses:

They very are quick to point out, "I've tried tofu and I don't like it." My response, "You have to know what to do with it." My ex-husband, a hamburger and steak-loving carnivore, actually loved and raved about my tofu dishes. And so did his carnivore friends. Years after we were divorced, he texted me out of the blue and asked for my tofu recipe. [To learn recipes that will make you love tofu and tempeh, join my cooking class: Tofu & Tempeh Transformations, Dec 6th >>]
Another response I get from some women - is that they've been told that they "Can't have soy because it interferes with their thyroid medication." Actually, in most cases you can still consume soy, but you need to time it by a few hours so its not at the same time as taking your medication. But many doctors, (unfortunately) tell their patients to just avoid it altogether "to be safe". The Mayo Clinic recommends to wait at least one hour after taking thyroid medication before you eat or take other medicines. That includes food or drinks that have soy in them.
Or this response: "I've heard it can cause breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men."

Soy & Breast, Prostate Cancer:

An often-sighted study from the late 1990s, showed that lab-animals fed isoflavones stimulated breast tumour growth and inhibited the efficacy of several breast cancer drugs.

However, research in animals does not always translate to humans;, soy isoflavones may be metabolized differently in animals as compared to humans. Plus, I must point out, isoflavones are a partial isolated form of soy protein. It was not based on the traditional foods: tofu, edamame, or tempeh, which have been staples of the Asian diet for thousands of years.

Since then, several studies have shown that consuming natural soy products - which contain phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that are beneficial and are actually associated with a significant reduction of risk of breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer-specific mortality.

There is also suggestive evidence that eating soy foods is associated with a reduction in prostate cancer risk in men.

Am I Getting Enough Protein? Big Topic Lately.

Many people still believe "Its hard to get complete protein from a plant-based diet." We were taught that animal proteins are a complete protein, so they are superior. Did you know, that tofu and tempeh are complete proteins too?

The type of protein you eat may be more important than the amount.

Diets that rely mostly on plants for protein have been linked to a lower risk of stroke, heart disease, and early death. Plant-based protein provides nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that can improve your overall health.

According to the Mayo Clinic: You don’t have to eat meat at every meal to meet your protein needs after menopause. In fact, it’s a good idea to limit red meat and choose more nutrient-dense options, including plant-based proteins. “We would love people to get at least half of their protein intake from vegetable or nonanimal sources, which is a really good challenge,” Those sources include: Soy products like tofu, tempeh and edamame. Beans and lentils. Nuts and seeds. Whole grains like quinoa.

Our bodies make protein from amino acids. You need 20 different ones. Our bodies naturally make some of them, but there are nine that are called "essential" aka "complete protein" and we get these from our diet.

Sources of complete protein include:

Animal products (poultry, beef, pork, eggs),
Dairy products,
Whole sources of soy (tofu, edamame, tempeh)
Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat,
Spirulina, chia seeds, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast

Benefits of Plant Protein May Include:

Protection against heart disease. A review of eight studies found that people who followed a vegan or vegetarian diet were 30% less likely to die from ischemic heart disease than people who ate meat. Plant-based diets are lower in saturated fats, iron, and hormones.
Protection against cancer. Eating a diet rich in plant foods decreases your risk of cancer. Phytochemicals are substances found in plants that may help prevent cancer. Diets high in fiber can also help you control your weight and protect your gut health. Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases.
Protection against stroke. A healthy plant-based diet may decrease your risk of having a stroke by 10%. A healthy diet consists of lots of leafy greens, whole grains, and beans, and few refined grains and added sugars.
Protection against type 2 diabetes. People who follow plant-based diets have lower levels of type 2 diabetes than people who eat animal protein. People on plant-based diets are also less likely to be overweight. But the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes held up even among people of the same weight.