Researchers have discovered that adhering to a low-fat vegan diet that contains soy could affect the gut microbiome. Certain changes were then associated with a reduction in hot flashes related to menopause.
Menopausal Hot Flashes
Over 80% of women experiencing menopausal also experience hot flases. There are also studies that have shown that those who experience these hot flashes also have a higher risk for conditions including diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
On top of this, hot flashes can also lead to disruptions in sleep that can affect the overall health of a woman negatively.
These flashes may be reduced through lifestyle changes, including healthy weight maintenance, alcohol and caffeine avoidance, and spicy food avoidance.
Low-Fat Vegan Diet With Soy and Menopausal Hot Flashes
Now, new research shows that menopausal hot flashes could be decreased by adhering to a low-fat vegan diet that incorporates soy. This was found to go down by up to 95%.
Dr. Hana Kahleova, the study's lead author and the clinical research director at Responsible Medicine's Physicians Committee, explains that one reason why she wanted to look into how a vegan diet could affect hot flashes is due to how obesity is a hot flash risk factor.
She notes that research has shown that a vegan diet could aid in combating obesity and lead to weight loss. This diet also avoids dairy and meat products, which are rich in saturated fat and compounds known as advanced glycation end-products. These two can lead to inflammation that could contribute to hot flashes.
There is also research that reveals that women who experience hot flashes could also have a heightened risk of getting breast cancer and heart disease. Adhering to a vegan diet could help decrease the risk of both conditions.
Dr. Kahleova notes that though medications of estrogen and estrogen-progestin may be used for hot flash treatment, they have been seen to increase cardiovascular and breast cancer risk. However, vegan diets may decrease such risks. Research has also shown that products made from soy are linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer.
As part of the study, the scientists made use of the data of 84 postmenopausal women who joined the WAVS (Women's Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms) trial. The participants reportedly had at least two moderate-to-severe hot flashes each day.
Participants were given the choice to follow their normal diet or adhere to a low-fat vegan diet that included a half-cup of cooked soybeans for 12 weeks. A subset comprising 11 participants was also asked to give their stool samples for analysis of their gut microbiome. They did so before the study started and after the 12-week vegan diet.
Changes in bacteria in the gut microbiome of those who chose a vegan diet were observed. For instance, more Prevotella corporis and Porphyromonas bacteria were found among those who went with the vegan diet. These were associated with severe hot flash reductions. This was the case even after body mass index (BMI) was factored in.
The researchers also observed that the bacteria Clostridium asparagiforme saw a decline in number. This was linked to a reduction in severe nighttime hot flashes and severe flashes.
Generally, findings revealed that participants who adhered to the vegan diet saw a 95% reduction in hot flashes compared to those who went on with their normal diet. Findings also revealed that the vegan diet led to a 96% reduction in hot flashes that were moderate to severe. Daytime hot flashes also saw a 96% decrease, while their nighttime counterparts saw a 94% plummet.
Dr. Kahleova explains that the findings are the most recent illustration of how a vegan diet could play a crucial role in combating conditions related to diet and in staying healthy over time.
However, Dr. Monique Richard, who is a registered dietitian nutritionist who owns Nutrition-In-Sight, notes that the study only covered the stool samples of 11 participants, making the sample extremely small to draw a conclusion. Dr. Richard also adds that direct causal relationships cannot be ascertained, as there are also studies that are inconclusive and inconsistent.
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