Contrary to what advertisers and “anti-aging” product marketers might have you believe, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting older. In several ways, life actually gets better as you age—you’ve accumulated plenty of wisdom, and you likely feel more stable than you did in your younger years.Research also showsthat most people’s self-esteem peaks in their 60s, another plus. All that said, for women, the onset of menopause is an inescapable part of getting older, as well. Often, this normal, natural event comes with uncomfortable symptoms, particularly hot flashes. Thankfully for most women, a healthy diet that includes certain foods, like soy, can help alleviate the severity of them.
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What causes hot flashes?
How a healthy diet—including soy—can help
Pictured Recipe:Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles
Before we go into which foods might help decrease the frequency of hot flashes, let’s get something straight: “Excessive worry about food or a fixation on trying to find the ‘right’ food to resolve a symptom is likely to contribute to unnecessary distress,” Schonberg says. In other words, food isn’t a miracle cure for hot flashes or other symptoms, and putting too much focus on what you do or don’t eat can become a health problem in itself.
A June 2020 report from theStrategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy of Eating Disordersfound that around 11% of women in their 40s and 50s have had an eating disorder at some point in their life, and that the prevalence of eating disorders among perimenopausal women is rising. Schonberg stresses that while a nutritious diet is important during menopause, you shouldn’t make drastic changes to what you eat or fall victim to a strict diet that claims it can “cure” your symptoms (which it can’t). In fact, she points out that constant dieting can actually make them worse.
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Other healthy foods to incorporate
Alison Miksch Photography / Kindsey Lower Prop Styling / Rishon Hanners Food Styling.
Pictured Recipe:Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers
Eating more soy foods may not have the same effect in all women, though. Many people aren’t able to convert the isoflavones found in food into the type of phytoestrogen that our bodies can use, Schonberg explains. Regardless, she says, “Whether or not these foods will help reduce symptoms, soy foods are a source of high-quality protein and isoflavones have a broad spectrum of non-hormonal benefits, including antioxidant andanti-inflammatoryproperties. Therefore, it’s beneficial for women to include these foods as a part of a healthy diet.”
Other plant-based foods, like legumes, whole grains and some fruits and vegetables, also contain phytoestrogens and might help reduce the frequency of hot flashes, although Schonberg says that there isn’t sufficient evidence to confirm this. Still, she encourages women to eat these foods, as a diet rich inplant foodsis associated withmany other health benefits. Plus, menopause also triggers digestive issues for some women, and thesefiber-rich foodscan help alleviate those.
Foods to consider limiting or eliminating for fewer hot flashes
Another important point: Certain foods may actually make hot flashes more intense and more frequent. Because hot flashes are a result of your brain thinking that your body is too warm, avoiding hot beverages can help. Some women also find that avoiding or limiting alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods is helpful, Schonberg says, although this is anecdotal since there isn’t much research available.
The Bottom Line
Eating a nutritious diet rich in plant foods, particularly soy, can lead to fewer hot flashes in many women. Unfortunately, this won’t work for everyone. “In general, we don’t have really good, robust [research] to guide the use of food therapies for alleviating menopause symptoms,” Schonberg says. Still, small changes like eating more soy and limiting alcohol, caffeine, hot drinks and spicy foods can be helpful.
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