SOY PRODUCTS IN MENOPAUSE – SUPER HERO OR VILLAIN?

Have you heard that soy is a terrible food during perimenopause? Maybe even that it will make your symptoms worse, or give you cancer, or make your husband grow breasts? There are a lot of myths circulating the internet about soy.

Soy is the number one dietary source of phytoestrogens, or plant oestrogens. But these plant hormones may not be the big baddie you’ve been led to believe.

It’s time to get clear on how soy can be your friend - in the right circumstances and form, of course.

BUSTING THE MYTH OF PHYTOESTROGENS

First up, let’s get clear on what phytoestrogens actually are – because they aren’t the evil we’ve been led to believe!

Phytoestrogens are natural, plant-based compounds with a similar structure to our body’s own estrogen, with one of the best known and researched sources being soy. But despite what you might have heard, they are not identical to the estrogen you produce, and certainly differ in the impact they have on our body!

Phytoestrogens have a much weaker, or milder effect on your cells, but they’re still beneficial, as they interact, or bind, with estrogen receptors on your cells. That means they can bump your own full-strength estrogen out of the way or stimulate estrogen receptors when your body’s own production is low. This means that in times of estrogen fluctuations they act as a gentle support to balance out levels.

SOY AND PERIMENOPAUSE

Now I’m sure you can start to imagine how this can help with perimenopause. After all, you’d be familiar with the fun of the estrogen rollercoaster by now!

During perimenopause [LINK TO 4 PHASES BLOG], phytoestrogens are your new best friend. When your estrogen skyrockets, they can compete for estrogen receptors and reduce the impact of that very high estrogen surge. And when estrogen bottoms out? You get the gentle support of phytoestrogens to ease your symptoms. This is what I love about herbs and functional foods like phytoestrogens, they don’t just do one thing like medications work on one pathway or one issue, herbs and foods support your body to bring it back to balance, whether it’s high or low.

Another handy effect? When you have excess body fat, your fat tissue can generate its own, very potent estrogen (estrone, E1). And as we know, weight gain is all too common for women in their 40s. So when you add that in on top of perimenopause estrogen fluctuations, that’s a lot flying around and causing pesky side effects! The high levels of estrogen are exacerbated by lowering levels of progesterone in perimenopause.

Progesterone is the yin to estrogens yang – it is calming and soothing (physically and mentally) – so as it naturally lowers in perimenopause, this can create a relative excess of estrogen. (Some people call that estrogen dominance, or estrogen excess, but it’s best represented by talking about it as a relative excess, because the two hormones go together like peaches and cream.) An estrogen excess contributes to symptoms like heavy bleeding, PMS, rage, sore breasts and more. By including a healthy dose of phytoestrogens each day, you can reduce the impact of the additional estrogen.

CAN SOY BE HELPFUL EVEN AFTER BREAST CANCER?

Another common concern around soy and phytoestrogens is when it comes to cancer risk. But again, their weak actions can actually have a protective effect!

Hormonal-driven cancers such as breast cancer can mean you are unable to use HRT to ease your perimenopausal symptoms. But phytoestrogens can occupy those oestrogen receptors and reduce the risk of oestrogen stimulating cancer cell growth.

So if you’re sick of perimenopausal symptoms, but can’t use HRT to help? Adding phytoestrogens into your diet may be key to easing your journey.

Now of course, when it comes to complex health concerns such as breast cancer or a history of cancer, personalised advice is a must. Always consult a healthcare expert who understands your unique needs to tailor the right dietary approach for you (and yes, I can help with that!)

Psst – if you’re looking to reduce your breast cancer risk, I have more tips right here.

QUALITY IS KEY

Of course, my advice here doesn’t come without caveats! Processed soy is not going to be your friend. Let’s be honest, processed and ultra-processed food of any kind is not going to offer the same benefits as wholefood options!

That’s why I recommend minimally processed and traditional (fermented) soy products that use the whole soy bean in their production. We’re talking about:

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Soy beans
• Miso

What you don’t want? Soy products that are using soy isolates or that are highly processed (aka full of additives and not much nutrition). So put those soy sausages back on the shelf, and double check the label of your soy milk!

HOW MUCH SOY SHOULD I BE HAVING?

In many Asian cultures, the diet is naturally rich in phytoestrogens, primarily due to high consumption of soy products and other phytoestrogen-rich foods. Research has shown that women in these cultures often experience fewer and less severe menopausal symptoms compared to their Western counterparts. For example, the prevalence of hot flashes is notably lower among women in Japan, where diets typically include 50-200 mg of isoflavones daily, compared to Western diets that contain only 3-5 mg daily.

To achieve the intake of 50-200 mg of isoflavones daily, common in many Asian diets, it's helpful to know the isoflavone content of popular soy-based foods like tofu, tempeh, and edamame.

Here's a general guide to how much of these foods you would need to consume to reach that level:

1. Tofu: Tofu typically contains about 20-30 mg of isoflavones per 100 grams. To consume 50 mg of isoflavones, you'd need about 166-250 grams of tofu (roughly 6-9 ounces). For 200 mg, about 666-1000 grams (approximately 23-35 ounces or 1.5-2.2 pounds).
2. Tempeh: Tempeh is richer in isoflavones compared to tofu, containing about 30-50 mg of isoflavones per 100 grams. Therefore, you would need approximately 100-166 grams of tempeh (about 3.5-6 ounces) to consume 50 mg of isoflavones. For 200 mg, about 400-666 grams (14-23 ounces).
3. Edamame: Edamame, or young soybeans, contains about 10-20 mg of isoflavones per 100 grams. To reach 50 mg of isoflavones, one would need to consume roughly 250-500 grams of edamame (about 9-18 ounces). For 200 mg, this would mean consuming 1000-2000 grams (about 35-70 ounces or 2.2-4.4 pounds).

These figures are approximations as the actual isoflavone content can vary based on factors like the specific variety of soy, processing methods, and growing conditions. You can see it’s quite a lot! Way more than what I’d like you to have each day.

Including a mix of phytoestrogen-rich foods in your diet can help diversify your nutrient intake while helping you achieve the beneficial levels of isoflavones observed in Japanese diets. This approach can be particularly beneficial for managing symptoms associated with perimenopause, such as hot flashes and mood swings. Relying heavily on one food is never a good thing, in my opinion. It’s part of the reason we end up with so many food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies in the western world. The key is variety.

Soy is also a great source of protein, and it is VERY ECONOMICAL! I choose to feed myself and my family (including the boys) organic tofu, tempeh, edamame, and miso paste in our meals. Just not daily, or more than a few times in a week. One of my kids LOVES soy milk. I occasionally buy him a litre of high quality soy milk (made from fermented whole beans), which he drinks over a week. Otherwise, like other plant milks, I don’t consume them.

And yes, high quality soy is a part of some recipes in my 4-week program, PerimenoGO.

Soy not your thing, but you’re still keen for the goodness of phytoestrogens? Don’t forget you can reach for flaxseed (linseed), alfalfa sprouts, lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts, other seeds, and red clover tea.

What do you think? Are you a soy lover or hater? Let me know in the comments.