Improving hot flash symptoms with your diet? Yes!

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Is it really possible to relieve bothersome hot flashes by simply changing your diet? I admit, I am totally hooked on the power of nutrition, especially having experienced first-hand its potent therapeutic force. So, when I experienced my first few hot flashes and night sweats, it was no surprise I looked to food first to help ease me through this next phase of my life.

In this article, we’ll explore the evidence supporting the connection between certain foods and menopausal symptoms and highlight the top foods you want to include regularly in your diet for the best results.

Is our Western diet making hot flashes worse?

What is it about our Western diet that could be making menopausal symptoms worse?

One of the first clues of a possible relationship between hot flashes and food came from an observation that Japanese women were far less likely to complain of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms than Western women. But once Japanese women start eating a Western style diet, complaints of hot flashes increase. The traditional Japanese diet is high in rice, vegetables and often soy.

It has also been reported in a number of studies that women who eat a vegan diet, or a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, report fewer hot flashes and night sweats than those who eat an omnivore diet. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing – it has also been found in studies that any move towards eating more fruits, vegetables and wholegrains will help.

What is it about our Western diet that could be making menopausal symptoms worse?

It appears that our high fat, standard Western diet that is also higher in animal products is contributing to typical menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats.

Women who have gained weight above a healthy range will also tend to experience worse symptoms. Plant based diets on the other hand, are higher in fibre and antioxidants, lower in saturated fat and are anti-inflammatory. Fibre is well known for having a balancing effect on oestrogen levels. It also promotes a healthier weight and protects your heart and brain as you age.

What about soy?

The latest research suggests that the combination of a plant-based diet and the daily addition of soy has an even greater health benefit than just one or the other.

There has been much controversy around soy over the years. But we know from more than 50 clinical trials that the isoflavones in soy can help stabilise oestrogen levels and alleviate hot flashes. Isoflavones are one type of phytoestrogen – an oestrogen made by plants that is usable by us but with a milder effect than our own oestrogen.

The latest research suggests that the combination of a plant-based diet and the daily addition of soy has an even greater health benefit than just one or the other. The reason being, fibre feeds your gut microbes, and we need these microbes to convert isoflavones into its active form. This probably explains why hot flashes are so rare in Asian women eating traditional diets.

Lignans are another type of phytoestrogen found in seeds like flax - just two teaspoons of ground flaxseeds a day alone can significantly decrease menopausal symptoms!

There has been some fear around soy foods promoting cancer but the evidence tells another story. Asian women who eat soy regularly are far less likely to get breast cancer than those of us who don’t. Studies in women with breast cancer show that isoflavones do not increase the risk of cancer recurrence. But this is not an endorsement for isoflavone supplements as there is still a risk that one might take too much. It is much safer to get your isoflavones from real food. Better still, eat soy that is minimally processed, organic and fermented like the Japanese do. To relieve hot flashes, 2 servings a day of traditional soy foods is sufficient.

Top dietary tips for hot flashes

Alcohol, which can make symptoms worse and contributes to weight gain.

Focus on:

• A whole food, plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices.

• Minimally processed soy like tofu, miso, tempeh, natto, soy milk from whole soybeans and edamame.

• Specific foods high in lignans like flax seeds, sesame seeds, whole grains (wheat and rye), legumes (chickpeas), many fruits (apricots and apples) and vegetables (garlic, squash and green beans).

Avoid:

• Alcohol, which can make symptoms worse and contributes to weight gain.

• Triggers like spicy foods and caffeine which may be problematic for some.

Summary

In summary, adopting a diet higher in plant foods with the extra addition of foods rich in phytoestrogens can make a significant difference to many women struggling with frequent and severe hot flashes. 

Not only will this kind of diet help your menopausal symptoms but it will help you to maintain a healthy weight and set you up for overall good health as you age. 

Remember however, that even on the healthiest of diets, you may still find menopausal symptoms intolerable, in which case, please visit your health practitioner for further advice and management.

References/Citations

1. AMS Lifestyle and behavioral modifications for menopausal symptoms (no date). Available at: https://www.menopause.org.au/images/stories/infosheets/docs/AMS_Lifestyle_and_behavioral_modifications_for_menopausal_symptoms.pdf (Accessed: March 23, 2023).

2. Barnard, N. D., Kahleova, H., Holtz, D. N., Znayenko-Miller, T., Sutton, M., Holubkov, R., Zhao, X., Galandi, S., & Setchell, K. D. R. (2023). A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 30(1), 80–87. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002080

3. Beezhold, B. et al. (2018) “Vegans report less bothersome vasomotor and physical menopausal symptoms than omnivores,” Maturitas, 112, pp. 12–17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.03.009.

4. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · October 26, 2022 · V.59 (2022) 2022 NutritionFacts.org. Available at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/dietary-approach-to-naturally-treating-menopause-symptoms/ (Accessed: March 23, 2023).

5. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · January 3, 2018 · V.39 (2018) Soy phytoestrogens for menopause hot flashes, NutritionFacts.org. Available at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/soy-phytoestrogens-for-menopause-hot-flashes/ (Accessed: March 23, 2023).

6. Mosconi, L. and Shriver, M. (2022) The XX Brain: The groundbreaking science empowering women to maximize cognitive health and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. New York: Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

7. Rotolo, O. et al. (2019) “Women in love: Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet rich in omega-3 improves vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women. an exploratory randomized controlled trial,” Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets, 19(8), pp. 1232–1239. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530319666190528101532.

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