Soy has been in the limelight for effectively lowering cholesterol. But as a source of menopause relief?
Scientific research has found out that the occurrence of hot flashes is very minimal in women from Asian countries. When a diet comparison was done,  they discovered that the major component of Asian diets is soy. Thus, they have concluded that a woman’s eating habit is a big factor in the lesser incidence of menopausal symptoms.
The major content of soy which is isoflavones is basically the reason why it brings forth menopause relief.Â
It is said that these isoflavones, although these are not estrogens, act they way estrogens do. Because of this, soy foods and soy supplements are highly recommended as a menopause relief. Women who have been experiencing menopausal symptoms may alleviate the discomforts by taking in soy products.
The studies made in Japan, where soy foods are commonly part of the diet, showed that the women there are very much less likely to experience menopausal symptoms than the women in the US or Canada.
The isoflavones content of soy possesses an estrogen-like effect, thereby decreasing the occurrence of menopausal symptoms.
These studies are paving the way for an alternative option of menopause relief to using the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The natural and most convenient way to prevent having menopausal symptoms is to introduce soy foods and soy supplements into our diet.
While the amount of isoflavones in your soy foods could vary, a good soy intake goal is 50 mg.Â
Several studies have been conducted on soy and menopause. Some of these gathered the data suggesting that soy can effectively be a menopause relief within one to three months of regular soy intake.
The isoflavones in soy actually have the same structure as the body’s estrogen. These isoflavones attach themselves to estrogen receptors, thus mimicking the role (and the benefits) of estrogen. Soy does not only act as a menopausal relief source, it actually aids in the prevention of menopause-related diseases such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
Previous studies confirmed that a regular high soy diet for six months can greatly increase bone density preventing the incidence of osteoporosis.Â
It is also a given fact that soy is a natural cholesterol-lowering food. And a healthy cholesterol level decreases the risk of heart disease.
Soy has been a controversial topic.Â
Research has found many good uses of soy: treatment of menopause symptoms, protection against cancers, and prevention of heart disease.
Other researchers have documented some adverse effects of soy: allergies, infertility in females, changes in thyroid function and hormone overload due to its estrogen-like effects.
It is important to keep these points in perspective when considering using soy for menopause relief. There are a number of other methods to find menopause relief, and they all will have their added side effects too.
Soy remains a natural way and the healthiest way to help your body cope with menopause symptoms. Â Aside from giving you the menopause relief that you need to go through menopause much more easily, soy also helps you get rid of the possible risks of major health problems.
Read more about controversial aspects of the use of Soy : Soy: Good or Bad