Low fat, plant-based diet may reduce hot flashes by 88%

• A new study suggests that a low fat, plant-based diet rich in soy is as effective as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for reducing hot flashes.
• The 12-week trial found that a plant-rich diet reduced moderate to severe hot flashes by 88%.
• The diet may have also helped women lose 8 pounds on average and improved their quality of life.
• Some experts say the study isn’t robust enough and that HRT is still the best option for reducing severe hot flashes.
• More research is needed to determine the impact of diet on reducing menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

A recent study reported that a plant-based, soy-rich diet could alleviate menopausal symptoms with the same effectiveness as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

The Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS) trial found that this food-based approach reduced moderate to severe hot flashes by 88%. HRT has been shown to improve these symptoms by 70%–90%.

Moreover, trial participants lost an average of 8 pounds during the 12-week study.

Lead researcher Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine, said in a news release:

“We do not fully understand yet why this combination works but it seems that these three elements are key—…