Navigation
A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial
In this study by Barnard et al. (2023), the authors investigated the impact of diet on the symptoms of menopause, and the subsequent impact on the quality of life, in a population of 84 postmenopausal women suffering from symptoms like moderate to severe daily hot flashes. The participants were divided into two groups, where one group resumed their normal daily diets and served as control, while the second group received a dietary modulation to a vegan diet low in fats, supplemented with half a cup of cooked soybeans. The intervention lasted 12 weeks, during which the authors collected data on physical, sexual, vasomotor, psychosocial, and hot flashes symptoms (severity, frequency) using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. In addition, potential differences in urinary metabolites were examined following the ingestion of cooked soybeans (BID for 3 days). Analysis of the results demonstrated a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms’ severity and frequency (up to abolishment), and a reduction in vasomotor, sexual, and physical domain scores of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire following the vegan diet intervention. No relationships were observed between urinary metabolites (equol) and improvements in hot flashes. The authors conclude that daily soybean consumption and adopting a plant-based diet that is low in dietary oils can substantially decrease the severity and frequency of postmenopausal symptoms and hot flashes. [NPID: Dietary supplements, hot flashes, menopause, quality of life, soybeans]
Year: 2022
