Soy Nuts May Dampen Hot Flashes
(HealthDayNews, 5/7/04)

Dr. Francine Welty of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and an associate, put 60 postmenopausal women on a diet low in saturated fat. Half of the subjects ate soy nuts every day, while the others did not. After eight weeks, the two groups switched regimens for an additional eight weeks. The researchers report that, even though 75% of study participants did not exercise vigorously—taking part in activities like walking—hot flashes fell 46% for women who ate half a cup of dry-roasted, low-salt soy nuts daily and exercised more than 4.5 hours weekly; and 27% for women consuming the soy nuts and exercising just 30 to 90 minutes weekly. These findings suggest that the combination of soy consumption and exercise may be an effective treatment option for hot flashes in postmenopausal women.