Soy: Alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy

The 40 million menopausal women in the United States are in a dilemma. Seventy-five percent complain of hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, lack of energy, or other symptoms attributed to the loss of estrogen that comes along with menopause.

Menopause and the loss of estrogen that comes with it, has also been associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes. In fact, heart disease is the leading case of death for women, killing ten times more than breast cancer and osteoporosis will cause bon fractures in 40 percent of women over the age of 50. That is why many doctors now recommend that their menopausal patients take - or at least take into consideration - hormone replacement therapy. And that's the dilemma. Only 9 percent to 15 percent of menopausal women chose to take hormone replacement because they are concerned about the risks and side effects. Hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased likelihood of breast cancer and abnormal blood clots (thrombosis). Simply stated, women fear hormone replacement therapy. Many women also experience bloating, weight gain and abnormal uterine bleeding while taking estrogen. Today's women also tend to avoid synthetic hormones and try a more natural route, especially one that encompasses diet, exercise and other lifestyle practices.

For women who want to find an alternate to hormone replacement therapy, here is the good news. There is an excellent substitute to hormone replacement that appears to carry no risk at all. A woman doesn't need a doctor to prescribe it or administer it. All she has to do is add soy products to her diet or take soy supplements.

Twenty years ago, practically no scientific papers had been written about soy. But over the past decade, things have changed remarkably. Hundreds of articles are published each year in the world's best journals, touting the health benefits of soy. Now it is well known that soy reduces the severity and number of hot flashes and lowers the risk of osteoporosis, certain cancers and heart disease.

Soy is one of the most abundant sources of isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen, which acts like real estrogen in the body. While most doctors do no consider soy supplementation the same as hormone replacement therapy, many agree that soy is an excellent alternative for the 85 percent of menopausal women who do not or will not use hormone replacement therapy. In 1999, a consensus among researches at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society concluded that: "Of the numerous classes of phytoestrogens (plant estrogens), isoflavones seem to have the most potent estrogenic effects. Sources of isoflavones such as soy foods and in several cases supplements, have therapeutic effects on bone mineral density, lipid (cholesterol) blood levels and blood vessel endothelium function. Large population-based studies also show inverse relationships between soy isoflavone intake and hormone replacement cancer risk.

Despite the growing body of evidence that soy is enormously beneficial in lowering the risk of diseases linked to estrogen deficiency, the medical community is still not sure how to relate this information to patients. Doctors are still learning basic information about soy, so it is not surprising that many perimenopausal and menopausal women ask the same questions. All the confusion and fear surrounding replacement has created an urgent need for a clear understanding of what to use as an alternative. It is important that menopausal women have answers to questions about how they can use soy to lower their risk of disease and treat the symptoms of menopause. For each health benefit, what form of soy, which soy supplements, how much, how often and why should all be explained. Now, these women can make their own choices. Indeed, soy has many health benefits.