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January 2010
PRESS RELEASE
Soya brings hot flush relief to menopausal women
41% fewer hot flushes when taking soya isoflavones
A recent Italian study has demonstrated that soya isoflavones can reduce the discomfort suffered from hot flushes during the menopause. The isoflavones, natural plant compounds found in soya, were effective after just six weeks of consumption, irrespective of the intensity of the hot flushes.
Every year millions of women worldwide go through the menopause. The complaints associated with the menopause differ from woman to woman, but suffering from hot flushes and night sweats can be extremely uncomfortable and reduce the quality of life for most menopausal women. In Western countries 70% of women experience hot flushes during the menopause. This percentage is noticeably lower for Asian women with just 5 to 18% reporting hot flushes. It is thought that the higher consumption of isoflavones – naturally present in soya – in the Asian countries plays a key role and the results from a recently published Italian randomised double blinded study adds further weight to this theory.
180 menopausal women were randomised to receive either 80 mg of soya isoflavones (n=85) or a placebo (n=95) (an inactive substance). The women aged between 40 and 65 years were experiencing at least 5 moderate to severe hot flushes per day before the study began. After six and after twelve weeks the number of hot flushes in the isoflavone group was significantly lower than in the placebo group. Six weeks after the start of the study the number of hot flushes had decreased by 36% for the women in the isoflavones group compared to 24% in the placebo group (p=0.038). The reduction in hot flushes continued into the 12th week of the study with the isoflavones group reporting a 41% decrease in hot flushes which was significantly greater than the placebo group 29% decrease, p=0.023. A placebo effect is often documented in the treatment of hot flushes. However, the improvement in symptoms for the isoflavones group was not only greater but significantly greater than that experienced by the placebo group. The findings from this study clearly demonstrate that 80mg per day of soya isoflavones are an effective treatment for menopausal women experiencing 5 or more moderate to severe hot flushes per day.
Source: Ferrari, A. "Soy extract phytoestrogens with high dose of isoflavones for menopausal symptoms." J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 35.6 (2009): 1083-90.
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