Okay! Here are the two “foods” you can add to your diet that may affect hot flashes. These are easily found and may be just the trick if you’re suffering with too much heat due to menopause or peri-menopause. Remember that it’s important to mention these to your doctor or medical team – even something as simple as an innocent grapefruit can affect medications you take.
1. Soy: I think soy is a great product for hot flashes. Not everyone agrees because not every study says that soy lowers hot flashes better than a placebo, but in many studies it does.
Here’s what you can expect: You can expect about a 30 to a 50 percent reduction in the frequency of hot flashes and in the intensity of hot flashes. As I said, that might be enough to make a huge difference in the quality of your day and in the quality of your sleep.
You can take soy in two different ways; one is a supplement, which is generally between 50 and 100 mg a day, usually one in the morning and one at night. The second way is in food, which can be soybeans, tofu, edamame, soymilk, there are hundreds of different options. In this instance, you want to get about 25-40 grams of soy protein daily.
2. Flaxseed: Flaxseed is another option for you. Flaxseed is what they call a phytoestrogen (plant estrogen). A lot of people find flaxseed very helpful. It is available in so many forms. You can buy it as an ingredient in health bars and in other kinds of food products, but make sure that the seeds are ground or pressed into oil. If they are not, you won’t digest them and they will go right through your system.
Many women also use flaxseed oil; I suggest that you put about one to three tablespoons in food. I find that a lot of people just add it to their breakfast cereal in the morning. When storing it, make sure you put the oil in the refrigerator or it will go rancid.
Remember, once again – the key to trying anything “natural” is to be patient! Give these edible solutions two to three weeks before judging their success. And be sure to record your results. Keep a diary of how you feel and how often and how severe your hot flashes are. It’s easy to miss small improvements made over time.
Until next time, Dr. Mache Seibel
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