Soybean isoflavones, whether extracted or synthesized, prove significantly effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
The examination in this study began with a database search on PubMed and The Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials Register for articles shedding light on double-blinded randomized controlled trials conducted until December 14, 2010. Additionally, the authors kept a keen eye out for other peer-reviewed articles containing potentially useful information. Any articles discovered were scrutinized for information on the effects of isoflavones on the frequency or severity of hot flashes in comparison to a placebo. 19 trials were found suitable for inclusion in a systematic review, while 17 of these made it to the meta-analysis stage.
Among the 19 trials under review, data revealed that soybean isoflavones' ingestion, on a median of 54 mg for 6 weeks to 12 months, seemed to lead to a decrease in the frequency of hot flashes. A similar trend was discerned with hot flash severity, which reportedly reduced with isoflavone intake. Interestingly, it was found that isoflavone supplements with over 18.8 mg of genistein were more than twice as powerful in reducing hot flash frequency as supplements with a lower genistein count. These results, compiled over the course of the study, strongly suggest that soy isoflavone supplements are quite effective in mitigating the issue of hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
