Soy isoflavones have benefits and properties for female health by helping women who are going through menopause. Discover its main sources.
Within the large family of estrogens considered to be of plant origin, which are called phytoestrogens, soy isoflavones stand out, since they certainly occupy a preponderant place.
These molecules are extracted from soybeans, and as we will see throughout this article, they can constitute a natural treatment during menopause, since it provides very interesting benefits and qualities for women’s health, by acting in a similar way as do female estrogens, albeit in a milder and milder way.
What are soy isoflavones?
It consists of a group of plant substances from the soybean grain that have a structure quite similar to human estrogens. For this reason, isoflavones act in a similar way to how these hormones act on the body.
In particular, the isoflavones found in soybeans are polyphenols with phytoestrogen capacity, so they can behave in a similar way to female estrogens, even though they are not estrogens. And, in addition, its effects tend to be somewhat milder.
What benefits do they bring?
Soy isoflavones become a totally natural alternative to correct the estrogen deficit observed in both premenopausal and menopausal women.
This is so, because the supply of isoflavones significantly reduces hot flashes (which are by themselves one of the main symptoms of menopause), and other associated disorders.
Its estrogenic action is mild, thanks to the fact that they have a chemical structure similar to that of female estrogens, acting in the same places as these, in such a way that they help to fulfill their role.
Not surprisingly, not many studies have been done in this regard to help scientifically prove the benefits of soy isoflavones, but a few years ago, the first clinical trial with Spanish women was carried out.
It included 190 patients who received 1 capsule of soy isoflavone in the morning and afternoon for four months. At the end of the investigation, a certainly significant improvement in the number of hot flashes was verified.
Why are they so interesting for women?
Among other interesting qualities, the truth is that soy isoflavones provide unique properties for women, their consumption being especially useful during the menopausal period.
Why? Mainly due to its phytoestrogen benefits, a quality that translates into positively helping to reduce postmenopausal symptoms, such as, for example, it could be the case of alleviating the effects of the so-called climacteric syndrome (set of symptoms that follow menopause such as hot flashes, headaches, anxiety and depression).
In addition, it has been scientifically proven that soy isoflavones help reduce the risk of osteoporosis (which increases greatly during and after menopause) by improving calcium absorption, and prevents weight gain.
In the particular case of menopause, it has been shown that soy isoflavones are capable of reducing its symptoms, thanks to the fact that they compensate for the natural decrease in estrogen that occurs during this stage.
But its qualities do not remain here, since they also help reduce the risk of suffering certain diseases and pathologies whose risk (if redundancy is allowed) increases during the postmenopausal period: it reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol – thus preventing appearance of cardiovascular diseases, favors a better absorption of calcium and also improves defenses.
Where to find soy isoflavones and when to take them
If you are interested -or interested- in adding soy isoflavones to your diet, it is actually extremely simple and easy, since it is only necessary to add both soy and foods from it to our daily diet. Of course, it is advisable to always opt for organic soy and foods derived from soy (or whose labeling specifies that they are foods not from transgenic agriculture).
For example, you can opt for cooked and fresh whole soybeans, or derivatives such as:
- Tofu: Popularly known as tofu, it is prepared with soybeans, water and some coagulant or solidifier so that it acquires a blocky appearance similar to that of cheese (hence its name).
- Soy sauce: Seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with fungi such as Aspergillus orzo and / or Aspergillus soju.
- Tamari: Condiment produced by the fermentation of soybeans with different fungi, similar to soy sauce, but made exclusively with soybeans, water and salt.
- Soy milk: Its correct name should be soy vegetable drink. It is a drink that is made from soaking, grinding and filtering the soybeans.
- Miso: Paste obtained by the fermentation of soybeans.
- Tempeh: Food product from the fermentation of soybeans with the Rhizopus fungus. It is usually presented in the form of a cake.
As long as the consumption of soy foods and derivatives is not contraindicated (precisely because of their contribution in phytoestrogens), you can add this type of food to your daily diet. And when is it contraindicated? For example, in case of thyroid problems (hypothyroidism, subacute autoimmune thyroiditis and diffuse goiter), problems with fertility or in case of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
You can also find soy isoflavone capsules in health food stores and specialty health food stores. However, in these cases its consumption is always advised under medical supervision.
