Is Soy Good for Menopause?

aromatase inhibitors estrogen fermented soy foods hormone imbalance hormone replacement therapy hrt menopause phytoestrogens progesterone sex hormones snoring soy soy elimination diet soy ingredients soy-free diet testosterone traditional soy foods xenoestrogens Apr 29, 2023

A notebook with 'Menopause' written on the cover and a stethoscope on top of it

Menopause is a complex topic for two reasons. First, estrogen plays a key role in this stage in women's lives. At the same time, the sex hormone takes part in many other body processes. Second, typical treatments for menopause do not work for all women. So, for a brief discussion of this heavily researched subject, we'll need to simplify the concepts below:

Changes in sex hormones during menopause
The problem with hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
How soy affects estrogen levels
Why xenoestrogens pose health risks
Safer ways to treat hormone imbalance

As shown above, we'll get to examine if eating soy is healthy for menopause or not.

Changes in sex hormones during menopause

Normally, menopause is associated with a drop in estrogen levels.¹ But what many people do not realize is that the other sex hormones have already fallen a lot by the time estrogen decreases. That is, for most menopausal women, progesterone almost does not exist. On the other hand, testosterone levels are just about 15 percent of their pre-menopause amounts.^2,3 What's more, aging increases aromatase activity. Aromatase is an enzyme that turns testosterone into estrogen.⁴ Therefore, even with less total estrogen, there is a relative excess of the hormone during menopause.

The problem with hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

The big decline in estrogen during menopause is connected to various symptoms, including hot flashes, anxiety, mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and sleep problems.⁵ To manage these conditions, women are usually prescribed HRT. This treatment involves the lowest doses of both estrogen and progesterone that would relieve menopausal symptoms. The problem is, it uses man-made or animal hormones, whose structures differ from those of their human counterparts. Such differences lead to a greater risk of cancer, stroke, blood clots, and smooth muscle tissue disorders.^6,7,8 For these reasons, HRT can be unsafe and may not even be needed in the first place.

How soy affects estrogen levels

On top of HRT, diet can raise estrogen in women and men alike. Plant-based foods naturally have phytoestrogens. These substances are similar in structure to human estrogen. Thus, they mimic estrogen and are able to disrupt the body functions it controls.⁹

Of all foods, soy is the main source of phytoestrogens.¹⁰ Soy means not just soybeans. It also refers to traditional and fermented foods like tofu, soy sauce, soy milk, miso, and natto.¹¹ Moreover, it includes processed ingredients. Examples of the latter are soybean oil, soy flour, soy protein, and soy lecithins.¹² Considering that phytoestrogen-rich soy is present in almost all manufactured foods today, it is very easy to get high estrogen levels through diet alone. As a result, soy-based foods can worsen the imbalance of sex hormones during menopause.

Why xenoestrogens pose health risks

Synthetic chemicals called xenoestrogens are structurally similar to human estrogen too. In effect, they can act on target organs as estrogen does. However, they are believed to promote cancers of the reproductive organs, the lungs, the kidneys, the pancreas, and the brain.¹³

Xenoestrogens can be found in processed foods, food containers, and pesticides. They are common in toiletries and cosmetic products as well. Other sources are cigarette smoke and vehicle emissions. This means that most people are exposed to xenoestrogens all the time.¹³ These substances should be a concern especially to menopausal women. After all, they already have natural hormone imbalance, HRT, and phytoestrogens to deal with.

Safer ways to treat hormone imbalance

As we have said, regular exposure to HRT hormones, phytoestrogens, and xenoestrogens is linked to multiple health issues. This is why it makes sense to treat menopausal hormone imbalance through alternative methods and lifestyle changes. One such way is to replace progesterone and testosterone instead of estrogen in HRT. Another is to take natural aromatase inhibitors such as diindolylmethane (DIM). These supplements prevent the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.¹⁴ It would also be beneficial to stop using all sorts of products with xenoestrogens. Lastly, avoiding soy-based foods greatly helps with keeping healthy levels of estrogen in the body.

Conclusion

Menopause comes with a relative excess of estrogen, which has negative effects on health. Because soy is the top dietary contributor to excess estrogen, soy foods tend to be harmful for menopausal women (and for everyone else). It would then be good to address sex hormone imbalance during menopause in other ways, including a soy-free diet. As a bonus, soy elimination is even an effective solution to snoring! Find out more about the connection between soy and snoring through The Snoring Diet Solution.

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