Health effects of soy in menopausal women

Hot flashes appear to respond best to HRT and only modestly to soy protein. However, menopausal symptoms cannot be studied in isolation because there are other significant health issues at this stage in a woman's life. Menopause is a risk factor for CVD, which remains the leading cause of death of Canadian women; osteoporosis risk and incidence increase with age, and many women are concerned about developing breast cancer at this stage. Soy protein has been shown to improve blood lipid profiles and to slow the progression of bone loss. Research on the effect of phytoestrogens on the development of breast cancer is inconclusive. Taken together, these findings suggest that postmenopausal women can benefit from including soy in the diet; however, soy will not replace HRT in the management of severe hot flashes. The FDA recommends including 25 g per day of soy protein in the diet to lower cholesterol. Below is a list of dietary sources of soy and the amount of each product needed to achieve the 25 g/day suggestion: 7 oz firm tofu, 2.5 cups soy milk, 3/4 cup tempeh.