Soy nuts and menopausal women
Soy nuts have been shown in studies to help prevent heart disease and several forms of cancer. But did you know that eating soy nuts may also help to ease menopausal symptoms? Soy nuts are frequently used in scientific studies because of their high levels of isoflavones and the fact that most people like eating them. A recent study published in the Journal of Women's health found that consuming soy nuts three or four times throughout the day was associated with a decrease in the number of hot flashes and improvement in menopausal symptoms [1].
Study results
Welty and co-workers at the Beth Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, examined the effects of soy nuts on hot flashes and menopausal symptoms in sixty healthy postmenopausal women.
The women were divided in a crossover design in two groups. One group received a therapeutic lifestyle changes diet, whereas the other group received the same diet including one-half cup soy nuts (containing 25 grams soy protein and 160 milligrams isoflavones). Both groups consumed similar amounts of energy, protein and fat. During a period of 8 weeks the researchers recorded the number of hot flashes. At the end of the study the participants completed a menopausal symptom quality of life questionnaire. The researchers found that the consumption of soy nuts decreased the number of hot flashes by 45% and was associated with significant improvement in scores on the menopausal symptom quality of life questionnaire.Reference
[1] The association between soy nut consumption and decreased menopausal symptoms. Journal of Women's Health 2007; 16(3):361-369.