Menopausal Hot Flashes Are Not Inevitable

Why do 85 percent of menopausal women suffer hot flashes in some countries but only 15 percent in others?

I continue with this topic in the next video, Soy Foods for Menopause Hot Flash Symptoms ( ). Also see Dietary Approach to Naturally Treating Menopause Symptoms ( ).

I recently did a series on vaginal menopause symptoms, including:
• The Best Moisturizers and Lubricants for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms ( )
• Hormone Treatment (Estrogen Pills and Creams) for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms ( )
• Soy Milk for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms ( )

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  • A says:

    I just turned 39 last week. Yesterday I saw an IG reel of some middle aged women talking about how no one discussed perimenopause with them. And they ended lauding the joys of HRT. Bodybuilders who took too much juice are now on HRT. I knew it was a red flag. Thanks doc for highlighting that in the beginning of this video.

  • Kathy Sharp says:

    I’m on hormone therapy (a compounded cream). The research I found was not as scary as that presented here (more details below). Regardless, I would still be on it even if these states are true. For me it was a last resort. I am my ideal weight, exercise regularly, eat wfpb (no oil, no sugar and limited salt), do mental health exercises regularly, etc. Hormone therapy was all I could find left to help. I went from feeling hopeless, depressed, and nearly homocidal and suicidal before hormone supplementation to being calm, happy and my normal self again with it. My doc thinks most of my psych symptoms were from disturbed sleep in part due to night sweats (although I do not get daytime hot flashes). I have a special breathable mattress topper and bedding. I even tried eating tempeh, tofu, and/or soy milk daily. But, I still need the hormone therapy for mood regulation. There is a lot of conflicting evidence about hormone supplementation. In part because there are different kinds and used at different stages of life. What I found is specifically for compounded creams that omit the “bad” kind of estrogen, include progesterone and are used during perimenopause. It’s important to do your own research though.

    • saman odun says:

      I wonder if it might be a combination of some food items instead of just a single one? I doubt if there’s any study, but perhaps algae/seaweed + soy products? Afaik seaweed is also commonly comsumed there. We would have to wait for a study to happen i suppose

    • Kathy Sharp says:

      @saman odun Thanks for the ideas 🙂

    • Sue Michaelsen says:

      I was furious when I learn hormone replacement given my Mom was Premarin (pregnant mare urine collected, dehydrated and formed into capsules)

  • Toby Wollin says:

    So, let’s look at the prevalence of hypothyroidism among adults in Japan because I think all that soy in the diet there might have another health cost.

  • Caffeine Kitty says:

    I wish soy helped – did nothing for me and have been WFPB for 4 years (was junk food vegan before that) and exercise daily with BMI of 22 😥

    • Serene Wood says:

      Me too. My bmi is 21.2 and I have been plant based for 17 years. I eat lots of soy and I tried even removing it and my hot flashes stay the same. I have been in menopause for 8 years and I haven’t seen any improvement. I actually do see a pattern each month where every 28 to 30 days, my hot flashes get worse… 20 to 30 a day and then it tapers off to about 15 to 20. I have actually had my hot flashes start after the birth of my son at age 23. Every month a day before my period, I would get a bunch of hot flashes. Seems like my body is happy being super regular.

  • saint amata says:

    When he doe these two part podcasts, I have a ton of trouble remembering and finding the second part. Frustrating. 😢

  • Labyrinth says:

    If it turns out that Soy is the key, guess I’ll just be buying fans. Because I’m an asthmatic and eating large amounts of soy makes me wheeze. I had a full on Asthma attack after eating a tofu banh mi. (Sad too because it was delicious). Had to cut soy out of my plant based diet. 😭

  • Kathy says:

    Soy helped me with night sweats during perimenopause.

  • Syrah Smythe says:

    I’m 51 and finally started peri around 50. I felt 6 weeks of what I’d call occasional “warmth” but no overwhelming flashes or anything crazy. Veggie for 33 years. I eat a little bit of soy, but not much. I exercise like a banshee 7 days a week though and wonder if this is helping. It must be….

  • Jason Bills says:

    They also have a lot more Iodine in their diet and the Japanese recommended daily allowance is a lot higher than the U.S. I didn’t realize how important it is in my wife’s and I diet until I became deficient in it. My wife’s hot flashes have been reducing in frequency and intensity as we have been supplementing with Iodine. Since we are vegan and don’t really have access to the seaweed sheets we been using a little bit of the pharmacy bought Iodine and rubbing a little patch on our skin. It absorbs super quickly but taking a little longer as we get more in our systems.

  • Jenna Wingate says:

    Never had a hot flash, 4 years post. The only symptoms I have had are crazy dreams, brain fog, and dry skin. I do eat soy most every day – tofu, milk, or yogurt. My BMI has gone from 37 to 27 this year (yay), and my skin has improved, but otherwise about the same.

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