HRT for Menopause
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- What are phytoestrogens?
- What are flavones?
- What are lignans?
- What are isoflavones?
- How do isoflavones benefit menopausal women?
- How do lignans benefit menopausal women?
- How do flavones benefit menopausal women?
- How to include more phytoestrogens in the diet
- Isoflavones content of foods
Certain plant foods contain plant eostrogen which is called phytoestrogen (literally means plant eostrogen).
The phytoestrogens in plants is chemically similar in structure and action to the eostrogen produced in the body, but the plant eostrogens act much more weakly than eostrogen produced in the body.
There are three types of phytoestrogens:
- Flavones
- Isoflavones
- Lignans
Phytoestrogens have a beneficial effect on the body as they can attach to the eostrogen receptors in the body and prevent the much more stronger eostrogens produced in the body (or from synthetic eostrogen hormones, such as HRT and the contraceptive Pill) from attaching to those receptors and exacerbating any eostrogen dependent conditions from occurring (such as cancers of the breast, ovaries and uterus).
Phytoestrogens also help to normal eostrogen levels in women who have too little eostrogen (from menopause or any other eostrogen deficiency). The phytoestrogens from plant sources provide a weak source of eostrogen which helps to enable the body to balance out the levels of eostrogen (and help to normalise other hormones dependent on balanced eostrogen levels) and thus alleviate many of the symptoms associated with menopause, when eostrogen levels naturally drop too low.
Some foods, herbs and spices that are naturally rich sources of phytoestrogens are:
- Alfalfa
- Apples
- Anise
- Barley
- Bean sprouts
- Beans
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cherries
- Chickpeas
- Coffee
- Date palm
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Flaxseed
- French beans
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Hops
- Lentils
- Liquorice
- Oats
- Olives
- Parsley
- Peas
- Plums
- Potatoes
- Rapeseed
- Red beans
- Rhubarb
- Rice
- Rye
- Sage
- Seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Snow peas
- Soya beans
- Sweet potato
- Taro
- Turmeric
- Turnip
- Wheat
- Wholegrains
- Yam
Flavones are one of the three types of phytoestrogens that occur in plants. The highest sources of flavones are in parsley and celery. Millet and grains have weak flavones content, but the skin of citrus fruits has higher levels of flavones. Flavones have the weakest oestrogenic effect out of all the phytoestrogens. |
The richest source of flavones are celery and parsley as well as:
- Grapefruit skin
- Mandarin skin
- Orange ski
Flavones are also found in the following plant foods (but in very smalls amounts):
- Millet
- Mint
- Tomatoes
- Wheat
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Lignans are one of the three types of phytoestrogens that occur in plants. One of the richest sources of lignans is flaxseeds (or linseeds).
Lignans are also found in the following plant foods:
- Asparagus
- Beetroot
- Bell peppers (also contains isoflavones)
- Broccoli stems (also contains isoflavones)
- Carrots (also contains isoflavones)
- Cauliflower (also contains isoflavones)
- Cucumbers
- Iceberg lettuce
- Onions
- Pears
- Prunes (when dried)
- Soy beans (also contains isoflavones)
- Sweet potatoes
- Turnips
- Wheat
Isoflavones are one of the three types of phytoestrogens that occur in plants.
Isoflavones have the strongest oestrogenic effect out of all the phytoestrogens.
Isoflavones are found abundantly in soy and soy products (such as tofu). Just ensure the soy is non-GM, as the benefits of genetically modified (GM) soy is not known, so should be avoided.
Isoflavones are also found in the following plant foods:
- Apples
- Beans
- Bell peppers (also contains lignans)
- Broccoli stems (also contains lignans)
- Cabbage
- Carrots (also contains lignans)
- Chickpeas
- Cucumbers
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Lentils
- Lettuce
- Oranges
- Raspberries
- Soya beans (pictured above)
- Soy products (also contains lignans)
- Strawberries
- Tofu
- Tomatoes
Soy, tofu and other soy products are the richest sources of isoflavones.
Use only non-GMO soy - it should state it on the packet, if it doesn't then it wont be.
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How do isoflavones benefit menopausal women?
Soy, tofu and other soy products are especially rich in the phytoestrogen isoflavones, which could be the main reason why women in China, Japan and other Asian countries whose diet is high in soy and soy products generally have fewer symptoms (up to 80% less incidence of menopausal symptoms) and lower rates of breast cancer.
Research also shows that isoflavones are also responsible for helping to build bone tissues and ultimately prevent osteoporosis. This is vital for menopausal women whose natural estrogen levels are very low and this makes them at much higher risk of bone loss.
The recommendation for isoflavones is 30-50mg per day, preferably from the food you eat.
Use only non-GMO soy - it should state it on the packet, if it doesn't then it wont be.
How do lignans benefit menopausal women?
Studies show that lignans may lower cancer risk by blocking the effects that excessive eostrogen in the body can cause. Lignans have a similar chemical structure to natural eostrogen and are thought to attach to eostrogen receptor cells on the breast tissue, preventing the eostrogen produced by the body from attaching to them and reducing the likelihood of stimulating breast tissue from becoming cancerous.
In addition to this, lignans produce a substance that attaches itself to any excess eostrogen produced in the body and removes it harmlessly out of the body.
Lignans also have excellent antioxidant properties, so they protect the cells in the body from free radical damage and thus from damage to the DNA, which ultimately can cause cancer.
How do flavones benefit menopausal women?
Isoflavones benefit menopausal women because they contain a weak form of eostrogen, which is very similar to the eostrogen produced by the body and so is bio-compatible. This means the body accepts the eostrogen in phytoestrogens, which attaches to the eostrogen receptors, increasing eostrogen levels and activity in the body.
When a menopausal woman has high levels of eostrogen (from isoflavones or other phytoestrogens), the symptoms of menopause are much reduced, bringing a better quality of life. It is a great benefit for menopausal woman to get adequate phytoestrogens in their diet.
Some menopausal women have really bad menopausal symptoms and they may require something more than food - a food supplement or biocompatible cream.
Studies on flavones also suggest that dietary intake of flavones reduce risk of postmenopausal breast cancer - the best reason to include them in the diet.
How to include more phytoestrogens in the diet
Menopausal women can try to include more phytoestrogens in the diet by following the strategies outlined below. Use only non-GMO soy - it should state it on the packet, if it doesn't then it wont be:
- Incorporate more soy in the diet - the best way to add more soy in the diet is to incorporate soy beans and soya bean products (such as tofu) every day
- Special soy products to buy - certain soy products do contain adequate levels of isoflavones and in general, they are: isolated soy protein, soya protein isolate, textured soy protein
- Read labels - certain soy products contain little or no isoflavones (or lignans) and are not going to provide any benefit. The products that generally have very little to no isoflavones are: soya protein concentrate, soy sauce, soy bean oil
- Incorporate more flaxseeds in the diet - flaxseeds are the richest source of lignans, one of the phytoestrogens that are important for reducing symptoms in menopausal women. The easiest way to incorporate flaxseeds in the diet is by eating ground flaxseeds, which can be spread on breakfast cereal, on yoghurt, in shakes, but they can be used in whatever way suits you
- Eat more legumes - the phytoestrogen content in legumes is quite high and can assist with reduction of symptoms. The best sources are: soya beans, chickpeas, lentils and all types of beans. Legumes are a rich source of fibre, magnesium, calcium and a number of vitamins and minerals, are low GI and low fat too
- Eat more fruits and vegetables - many fruits and vegetables contain lignans and isoflavones. Nutritionists recommend eating 5-7 servings of vegetables and 3-4 servings of fruit each day. The weak oestrogenic effect of the phytoestrogens in fruit and vegetables should be part of the diet recommended for menopausal women
There are a number of ways to get soy and soy products in the diet, in order to get a good range of phytoestrogens, but especially the isoflavones, which seem to be the stronger of the three plant eostrogens Use only non-GMO soy - it should state it on the packet, if it doesn't then it wont be.
The recommended amount of isoflavones is approximately 30-50mg per day for menopausal women.
The following are some strategies for improving intake of soy and soy products, with the range of isoflavones per serving:
- Textured vegetable protein - use as a meat substitute in chillies, spaghetti bolognese and any dish where minced meat is usually used. This provides 62mg isoflavones per 15g (1/2 oz) of dry granules
- Soya shake - made with soya milk, soya (or milk) yoghurt and some fruit. This provides 50-57mg isoflavones per 250ml
- Tempeh - this is sold in thick slabs (approximately 250g) and can be marinated, sliced and stir fried with vegetables. This provides 36mg isoflavones per 90g (3oz)
- Soya milk - this is usually calcium fortified and can be used in shakes, pudding, over cereal and in hot chocolate, but also comes in different flavours (vanilla, chocolate). This provides 30mg isoflavones per 250ml (8fl oz)
- Roasted soya nuts - these are soya beans which have been dry roasted in the oven and can then be eaten as a snack. This provides 30mg isoflavones per 3 tablespoons
- Soya desserts - shop purchased soya desserts, which are eaten as a snack, between meals or at the end of a meal. This provides 30mg isoflavones per 90g (3oz)
- Miso - this is a soya based fermented flavouring which is used in soup and stews and it tastes much like teriyaki. This provides 29mg isoflavones per 75g (2.5oz)
- Soya cheese - this is used in cooking in stead of cottage (or other) cheeses as a non-dairy version. There are a number of different types of flavours of soya cheese. This provides 9mg isoflavones per 30g (1oz)
- Soya burgers - a non meat substitute made with soya beans instead of minced meat, together with other vegetables. Soya burgers are an easily digestible burger with none of the saturated fat and calories as a beef burger. This provides 8mg isoflavones per burger
- Soya flour - this is the flour made from soya beans. It's recommended to replace about 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour in any cake or other baked item recipe with soya flour instead. This provides 8mg isoflavones per 1 tablespoon
- Soya ice cream - this is ice cream made with soya beans instead of cream and other milk products. This provides 5mg isoflavones per 75g (2.5oz)
It's easy to get enough soy in the diet.
references
- BN Fink, SE Steck, ME Wolff, JA Britton, GC Kabat, et al. Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Breast Cancer Risk among Women on Long Island. Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Mar 1;165(5):514-23. Epub 2006 Dec 11. Accessed 6 January 2010
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