Meta-Analysis Boosts Soy for Hot Flash Relief

Soy isoflavone’s reputation for menopause relief is often debated, but a new meta-analysis of human trials suggests the ingredient can provide significant relief from hot flashes.

Researchers from Japan and the United States looked at 17 trials measuring changes in hot flash frequency and/or severity when women consumed soy isoflavone dietary supplements. Compared to placebo, soy isoflavone consumption was linked to significant reduction in hot flash frequency (20.6%) and severity (26.2%). When the dietary supplement provided more than 18.8 mg of the soy isoflavone genistein, hot flash reduction was three times as effective as results with low-genistein consumption.

Long-term trials showed greater potential of hot flash relief than short-term trials.

Participants in the trials consumed a median amount of 54 mg of soy isoflavone daily. Soy isoflavone supplier Archer Daniels Midland Company (Decatur, IL) says the meta-analysis is the largest and most comprehensive conducted to date.