Natural Sleeping Aids

Have Hot Flashes? Use Isoflavones and Black Cohosh

Soy isoflavones and black cohosh are plant products that have been used here and in Europe for treatment of hot flashes. Soy foods have been used for centuries in Asia, and Asian women have been observed to have fewer problems with hot flashes and other menopausal complaints. A typical traditional Asian diet contains around forty to eighty milligrams of isoflavones per day. Contrast this with the typical North American diet, which contains less than three milligrams of isoflavones per day. One gram of soy protein usually contains about 1.5 milligrams of isoflavones. Manufacturers of soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and miso are beginning to list the amount of isoflavones in their packaged products. The NAMS website contains a useful chart that lists the isoflavone levels in various soy food products. Following a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, including soy foods, can also lower serum lipids, help prevent osteoporosis, and provide many other health benefits.

These two botanicals have been studied in clinical trials and have been shown to be effective in reducing hot flashes. There have not been adverse risks reported with either soy derivatives or black cohosh. However, taking isoflavones as supplements may be less effective than eating foods rich in isoflavones, as discussed above. Recent thinking, again not sufficiently studied, is that it is better to eat isoflavones or soy in foods rather than isolate them in supplements.


OUTWITTING INSOMNIA, ELLEN MOHR CATALANO

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