Menopause

4.1. Diet

On the subject of diet, there are two types of advice: some experts recommend eating more of particular foods, while others recommending avoiding some. In general, though, there is no conclusive evidence that any of these reduce menopausal symptoms. Nuts, nut oils and some other plant oils are recommended, but whether or not they can work has not been adequately studied. The same is true for herbal teas, wheat, hops, grapefruit and many other foods.

Just as often, avoiding strong coffee, tea, alcohol, chocolate, salt and spices like curry are recommended for reducing menopausal symptoms. Again, there is no proof to show whether or not this will help.

But the most common recommendation is about soya. Many experts recommend a diet rich in soy products such as those including soy flour or soy milk. Others recommend dietary supplements which include soya to help reduce symptoms. There are trials of soya, but they arrived at conflicting results [11], [23]. That means that we cannot be sure about whether or not soya will reduce hot flashes and other symptoms. More trials of soy-rich diets or soya products are already underway. You can read more about this below in the section on dietary supplements.

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