Health Update: Plant Based Diets Lower Hot Flashes

RVAchironeuro • January 23, 2023

Hello again:

I hope that this new year is treating you right, and here is some really great news about hot flashes. A recent study found that the combination of a plant-based food plan, along with soy, avoiding animal products, and reducing fat led to a reduction in hot flashes as effective as hormone replacement therapy. This is important because traditional hormone replacement therapy has some dangerous risk factors while this approach to hot flashes is not only NOT risky but offers significant advantages such as weight loss, lower cholesterol, and improved overall health. Here are some of the insights from the study:

Highlights:

  • 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. (Dr. S: See comment below as to why this may not be exactly accurate. **)
  • More research is needed to determine the impact of diet on reducing menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. 
  • https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Fulltext/9900/A_dietary_intervention_for_vasomotor_symptoms_of.83.aspx

Bottom Line:

If you are experiencing mild to severe hot flashes, you can seek relief with your daily food plan. Going plant based ( https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326176 ) is as easy as simply focusing on foods that are unprocessed and mostly from plants. Here is a key takeaway from the study:

“We do not fully understand yet why this combination works but it seems that these three elements are key— avoiding animal products, reducing fat, and adding a serving of soybeans. Our results mirror the diets of places in the world, like pre-Westernized Japan and modern-day Yucatán Peninsula, where a low fat, plant-based diet including soybeans is more prevalent and where postmenopausal women experience fewer symptoms.”

“For estrogen alone, the listed risks include endometrial cancer, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and dementia. For estrogen and progestin combinations, the risks include breast cancer, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, dementia, and myocardial infarction. A low-fat vegan diet plus soybeans is safe and effective, and all the ‘side-effects’ are good ones [such as] weight loss and lower cholesterol.” -Dr.Ruiz, OB-GYN

 

By Mark Smith March 23, 2026
Health News Update: How To Fight Inflammation and Chronic Disease 3.23.26 Hello again everyone: You might wonder why I keep focusing on food…so here are some of the reasons: food choices are the leading cause of death in the U.S. and spreading around the world. Poor food choices lead to inflammation which slowly destroy health. It is that simple, plain, and clear and backed by research. The next question: how do we fight back? Introduction The positive impact of food on health was postulated by the ancient Hippocrates, father of modern medicine with his famous quote: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” [1]. In the 21st century, scientists have focused on the effect of nutritional habits in diseases. Nowadays, it is well documented that food plays a noteworthy role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases namely cardiovascular diseases (CVD), metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus type II, and cancer [2–5], as it correlates with others with the lipid pattern, the blood pressure, and the endothelial function. The scientists examine the effect of nutritional habits on disease emergence and progression in both individual nutrient intake and dietary patterns models. Worldwide, two dietary patterns are usually compared—the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the Western diet (WD) [3,6]. The Mediterranean diet reflects the food culture of most Mediterranean countries based on olive oil consumption, seasonal fresh vegetables, cereals, and plants in balance with low consumption of meat [7]. The Western diet, on the contrary, is dominated by high-fat dairy products processed and red meat [8]. However, discordance in the different MD patterns and consumed food doses had been recognized. Without any doubt, those discrepancies could confine and restrict our knowledge on the health benefit mechanisms of the MD [9]. Due to the above, the medical community along with nutritionists and dieticians take a keen interest in MD and its traits [7]. https://www.academia.edu/45378994/biomedicines_Mediterranean_Diet_as_a_Tool_to_Combat_Inflammation_and_Chronic_Diseases_An_Overview?email_work_card=view-paper food choices can fight inflammation and chronic disease Bottom Line: This is a 2020 paper and since then literally hundreds of papers on the MD have emerged showing how the food plan lowers inflammation and the risk for developing multiple chronic illnesses. Even still, lots of research needs to be done to elucidate the many mechanisms of how food impacts our system and how to optimally individualize dietary recommendations. At this point, our best strategy to prevent and/or recover from any chronic condition is to eat as clean and natural as possible. It has become rather obvious that the further away from a natural diet we get, the sicker we become. On top of that, I have yet to see a full recovery from any health issue without the foundation of a predominantly plant-based, unprocessed, whole foods approach…which is why I keep posting about this subject. All the best to you and yours!
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