Foods can lessen menopausal hot flashes; know which ones – 04/27/2023 – Equilibrium

Surprisingly little is known about hot flashes, or hot flashes, a phenomenon that affects 75% of menopausal American women.

“We don’t have exact answers, just a bunch of theories and questions,” says Arianna Sholes-Douglas, obstetrician-gynecologist and author of “The Menopause Myth: What Your Mother, Doctor and Friends Haven’t Shared About Life After 35”. Menopause: What Your Mom, Your Doctor, and Your Friends Didn’t Share About Life After Age 35, in Portuguese). With the decline of estrogen during the menopausal transition phase, the body’s internal thermostat sometimes registers the body as hotter than it actually is and triggers rapid sweating and dilation of blood vessels to try to cool it down.

But what triggers this process and why? No one knows for sure. How is hot flushing related to other health concerns such as cognitive problems and cardiovascular disease? Information is also scarce. Treatment options are mostly limited to hormones. All of this, says Scholes-Douglas, is a clear reflection of the lack of attention and resources devoted to medical research on this phase of a woman’s life.

Over the past two decades, researchers have begun to investigate another potential source of relief: diet. The idea derives from studies that revealed that heat waves differ in different societies and countries and may be largely a Western phenomenon. With that in mind, the scientists hypothesized that environmental factors, such as diet, might play a role in this difference.

But many of the studies on dietary interventions are small or inconclusive, points out Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health. In scientific work that has suggested that certain foods reduce hot flashes, the mechanisms at work are still not fully understood, she points out.

Still, says Faubion, there’s no harm in modifying your diet to see if it helps control hot flashes.

What foods can help?

Soy beans and soy-based products like tofu contain isoflavones, chemical compounds that can bind to estrogen receptors in the body, says Neal Barnard, professor at the George Washington School of Medicine. For this reason, it is considered that soy can emulate estrogen. It is one of the most studied foods in connection with menopausal symptoms, and there is some evidence that its consumption may be linked to a decrease in the frequency of hot flashes. But it’s unclear whether this is due to soy itself or another mechanism.

In two recent studies, Barnard and his team randomly divided 84 postmenopausal women who reported experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes into two groups. One group would stick to their usual diet, and the other would eat a low-fat vegan diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, including half a cup of cooked soybeans daily. Moderate to severe hot flashes decreased by approximately 80% in both studies.

“The caveat here is that there were essentially two interventions: The women were on a whole, plant-based diet, and their diet was high in soy,” Faubion points out. “So which of these two things was responsible for these results? We have no idea.”

The women in the study also ended up losing weight, a remarkable fact, according to Faubion, because some studies indicate a correlation between increased body fat and hot flashes, especially in certain stages of menopause.

Also of interest to researchers are omega-3 fatty acids. But while some studies have found that taking omega-3 supplements reduces the frequency of hot flashes, others have concluded that it makes no difference. Leaving supplements aside, some studies have already shown that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids –such as flaxseeds, walnuts and fatty fish like salmon– is associated with fewer hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

Are there foods to be avoided?

There is some evidence that a diet high in sugar and fat is associated with stronger hot flashes. In addition, doctors suggest avoiding foods and beverages that seem to trigger hot flashes, notes Hoosna Haque, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Columbia University Irving Middle Center, such as “very spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, high-sugar foods and highly processed foods”.

But she says the recommendation is based on anecdotal evidence and that it’s still unclear why these foods and drinks might trigger a hot flash.

“Perhaps it’s simply because they can cause sudden spikes and dips in energy levels,” says Haque. Or because something like caffeine can dilate blood vessels – as hot flashes do – and trigger a similar sequence of effects.

Finally, “we tell patients that a healthy, balanced diet can help relieve symptoms, but it’s not a treatment,” says Haque. And healthy diets “may also have beneficial effects later on in terms of bone health, weight gain and cardiovascular health.”

Translated by Clara Allain