Nature's own HRT
Newspaper article
Source: Daily Express
Date: 11/08/2003
Following the results of the Million Women Study, which
indicated the health risks of taking HRT, Michael Van Straten offers some
natural alternatives to HRT. He says that women should welcome the menopause
rather than fear it, and adds that 'A positive attitude to the menopause is the
first step in overcoming any difficulties.' He suggests that menopausal women
should eat a diet rich in soy-based foods such as tofu, soya beans, and soya
milk, and looks at promising new research on red clover extracts. Such extracts
are said to be a rich source of isoflavones, which are known to reduce the
symptoms of the menopause. The article includes a wealth of nutritional
suggestions on beating osteoporosis.
Soy-derived isoflavones don't help hot flushes
BMJ
2003;327 (9 August)
Question Are soy-derived isoflavone tablets effective
for hot flushes in menopausal women?
Synopsis In this rather small Italian double blinded
randomised controlled trial, women aged 45 to 60 years were randomised
(allocation concealed) to soy-derived isoflavone tablets, two
36 mg tablets twice daily (n = 28) or placebo (n = 34). Women had to
have at least seven hot flushes per day to be eligible for the study.
Evaluations were made at baseline and at three and six months. The
number of daily hot flushes decreased by 40% in each group
(isoflavone group from 9.9 (SD 4.5) to 4.6 (3.8), placebo from 8.6
(2.9) to 4.0 (3.9)). However, the study was too small to reliably
detect a difference of less than 50%. There was no change in
endometrial thickness in either group. Likewise there was no increase
in arterial blood flow as measured by a pulsatility index of the
internal carotid or middle cerebral arteries, which would have been
expected with a significant oestrogenic effect.
Bottom line Isoflavones had no measurable effect on
the daily number of hot flushes, endometrial thickness, or arterial
blood flow in this study. Women treated with isoflavones or placebo
both had a similar large reduction in number of daily hot flushes
over the six month study period. There is some conflicting
evidence, but these results are comparable with a similar study of
soy protein supplementation (St Germaine et al.
Menopause 2001;8: 17-26.
A clinically important effect on vasomotor symptoms is doubtful).
Penotti M, Fabio E, Modena AB, Rinaldi M, Omodei U, Vigana P. Effect
of soy-derived isoflavones on hot flushes, endometrial thickness, and
the pulsatility index of the uterine and cerebral arteries.
Fertil Steril 2003;79: 1112-7
Soya supplements do not protect against postmenopausal changes
Soya supplements containing naturally occurring oestrogen do not improve cognitive function, bone mineral density, or plasma lipids in healthy postmenopausal women, a new study says. ( JAMA 2004;292: 65-74).
The sudden decline in oestrogen levels after menopause coincides with the acceleration of several ageing processes, but because of the side effects of hormone replacement therapy some women have turned to naturally occurring oestrogens known as phytoestrogens (including isoflavones) that occur in plant foods such as soya beans, peas, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains.
In the study, Dr van der Schouw and colleagues (Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands) randomly assigned 202 healthy postmenopausal women aged 60 to 75 years to receive daily for 12 months either 25.6 g of soya protein (containing 99 mg of isoflavones) or a placebo. They were recruited from a population based sample in the Netherlands between April 2000 and September 2001.
The main outcomes were cognitive function, bone mineral density of the hip and lumbar spine (assessed by DEXA scanning), and lipid levels and none showed a benefit from soya over placebo.
The Minster Practice, Lichfield
