Menopause without soya?

[ragbaby]

I take the contraceptive pill which cuts out most of the hot flushes, except in the week I take off it. I get more hot flushes if I cut out soya milk. I know they sound twee and not that threatening but they keep me awake all night and I need sleep (single parent, self employed......).

 

I'm clearly using the soya to boost my oestregen. Have any of you found alternative solutions? I'm probably having about 1/3 pint a day.

[Megan Claydon]

I'm sure you know after following the whole 30 and being on this forum that drinking soy milk is not doing your body any favors. Especially if it's artificially boosting your estrogen levels. 

 

I highly recommend seeking out a functional medicine practitioner to take a look under the hood. Or at least talk to one about getting some tests ordered. There is clearly some hormone disruption going on and drinking soy milk is never going to be the answer. 

[carolinaBlue]

Everyone's experience is different but I've had complete relief from hot flashes using acupuncture and following the Whole9/W30 principles.

 

My personal philosophy is that menopause is a natural process that females need to go through as they age. However, our modern lifestyle has us so messed up hormonally that we suffer needlessly. I never considered any kind of hormone replacement or boosting estrogen through the use of soy products as a viable long term strategy. I guess I'm using food and a much healthier lifestyle as medicine instead...

[ragbaby]

ISWF says about soy:

"The fact is phytoestrogens (from soy) may be beneficial for a very specific population (perimenopausal women for example), but the effect on other populations is largely unknown....We think that reguarly consuming a food rich in hormonally active substances especially if you do not have a specific sex hormone imbalance as in perimenopause is a huge health gamble, and not one we think anyone should take. We are not ready to say that soy fails our second Good Food standard (healthy hormonal response) but we'll keep a close watch on the subject."

[missmary]

ISWF says about soy:

"The fact is phytoestrogens (from soy) may be beneficial for a very specific population (perimenopausal women for example), but the effect on other populations is largely unknown....We think that reguarly consuming a food rich in hormonally active substances especially if you do not have a specific sex hormone imbalance as in perimenopause is a huge health gamble, and not one we think anyone should take. We are not ready to say that soy fails our second Good Food standard (healthy hormonal response) but we'll keep a close watch on the subject."

___________________________________________

 

Yes, it is very possible that you are too low on estrogen, and could benefit from supplementing it. I just really question the logic of doing so via a food-like product such as soy milk. Soy milk is highly processed, made from GMOs in almost all cases, has a lot of nasty additives...I could go on...and, the fact is, lots of people have allergies to it so it is eliminated during the whole30.

 

Why not ask your dr to prescribe something that would be more controlled and controllable in terms of quality and dose? Even if he/she won't, there are better supplement products out there than soy milk. Emerita makes some creams that might be of interest to you. I see them at my food co-op.

 

http://www.emerita.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pro-gest

[PamH]

I started getting hot flashes in March of this year.  I just turned 48.  At the high point, I was having 20-24 hot flashes per day.  My sleep was horrible, since right before a flash would come on I would suddenly become very alert and wide awake.  It didn't come with the heavy sweating, but still enough to keep me awake.

 

My hot flashes are GONE on Whole30.  For me, the trigger is sugar.  I am not certain of the extent of my sensitivity, so I don't know if it is processed sugar or all sugars.  I do know I can eat at least 1/4 c of raisins without getting a hot flash.  The 3 days I've eaten white sugar in the past 50+ days I've had flashes within 30 minutes of eating it.

 

You are doing the Whole30?  For me, it took almost 3 weeks of being completely sugar free before the flashes went away completely.  

 

I avoid soy except for the occasional soy lecithin that sneaks in to my food.  I've never had soy milk, soy yogurt and such.  The only soy I eat is fermented soy.   I can't help you there.

[ragbaby]

wow, that is a really quick reaction to sugar! I keep stop starting the whole 30, for other digestive reasons (terrible stomach aches) but I think I have a strategy now and I'm gearing up for a start again next week. I've given up sugar for weeks (before whole 30 attempts) and it didn't make any difference. It all started when I was 44, 3 years ago and my mothers menopause went on for 10 years. I remember her crying for most of that time. I can't be doing that!

[MrsStick]

Fermented soy is supposed to be better than non-fermented varieties, according to the WAPF (not that I follow all their recommendations, but just a thought) especially for having a more healthy response for menopause.

[PamH]

Yep, 

 

Fermented soy is supposed to be better than non-fermented varieties, according to the WAPF (not that I follow all their recommendations, but just a thought) especially for having a more healthy response for menopause.

 

 

Fermented soy might be the only soy we use beyond a condiment.  Fermentation destroys a lot of the anti-nutrients (phytochemicals).  They are beneficial to the soy plant to keep it alive, but are not used well in our body and actually inhibit enzyme activity and nutrient absorption.   Phytates especially bind to zinc, and zinc is already depleted in a lot of our conventionally grown vegetables.  It really isn't a great food.  Take a look at the research done at Wake Forest University several years back with (male) monkeys.  Ugh