Simple cheap everyday superfood  that can banish menopause woe

It’s fair to say that, for most middle-aged British women, the menopause is not something that evokes excitement.

This is hardly surprising since the mid-life hormonal changes are associated with a host of uncomfortable – and often debilitating – symptoms, ranging from hot flushes to difficulty sleeping, anxiety, mood swings and reduced sex drive.

But not all cultures share the same dread. In Japan, the menopause is viewed in a much more positive light.

This is reflected in the word the Japanese use for this period of life: ‘Konenki’, which roughly translates to ‘the stage of renewal’.

What’s behind this difference in attitudes? Many experts argue it’s largely because, on average, Japanese women are significantly less likely to experience severe menopause symptoms than those in the UK.

Studies show that, while around 61 per cent of British women suffer from debilitating menopause issues, only about 40 per cent of Japanese women are affected in this way.

Meanwhile in Singapore, the number of women who experience menopause symptoms is even lower – with a mere 17 per cent affected.

And, as head nutritionist at the leading personalised nutrition app ZOE, I believe this is because women in Japan and Singapore eat far more of a specific food item than Britons – and it’s something that we all can, and should, adopt into our diet today.

The majority of women will begin the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Periods become irregular and eventually stop, and levels of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone fall.

It is this drop in hormone levels that is linked to the classic menopause symptoms. For this reason, two million women in the UK are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – which contains identical hormones to those produced by their bodies – on the NHS.

But the NHS also recommends other non-pharmaceutical approaches including regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Last year, I was involved in a fascinating research project which set out to conclude just how important diet was for combatting menopause symptoms.

At ZOE, where I work alongside Prof Tim Spector, who gained nationwide fame after developing the Covid-tracking app, we recommend that people follow a gut-healthy diet which abides by the principles of the Mediterranean diet.

This is one rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses and legumes, and contains a higher proportion of healthier fats from foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds. We also recommend our users consume as diverse a group of plants as possible, as well as fermented foods.

In a first-of-its-kind study, we tracked the menopause symptoms of thousands of women who followed the ZOE diet for 200 days.

It’s already well-established that a poor diet can speed up the arrival and severity of the menopause. Research has previously found that women who consume meals heavy in refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, pastries and sugary drinks, begin the menopause three years earlier on average than those who do not.

However, our study revealed striking findings that showed that a healthy diet can reduce the severity of menopause symptoms once the hormonal changes have already begun.

The data showed a significant reduction in the most challenging and prevalent menopause symptoms, including a lowering in depression and anxiety.

The biggest impact was on mood swings, with a 44 per cent reduction among postmenopausal women – anyone who has entered the menopause one year after their last period – compared with the period prior to beginning the diet.

Postmenopausal women who followed the ZOE diet plan also found the number of nights sweats, hot flashes and chills they experienced reduced by more than a third.

Women taking HRT benefited from changing their diet too.

This is, unquestionably, good news.

However, there is one particular item of food that I believe many people – even those who follow the ZOE diet – do not realise they should be eating to reduce menopause symptoms: Soy.

Soy foods are those derived from the soybean, a legume native to East Asia. This includes tofu, soy milk, edamame and natto. Tempeh and miso are also two popular fermented versions of soy.

Crucially, soy foods contain phytoestrogens – naturally occurring plant compounds that mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body. This means soy essentially naturally supports healthy oestrogen levels.

And, for this reason, studies show that women who regularly consume soy have significantly fewer menopause symptoms. Japan and Singapore aren’t the only countries where this effect is seen.

In some areas of China where soy is a key feature of the local diet, as few as 20 per cent of women experience menopause symptoms.

It is important to say that women in these countries eat, by our standards, a strikingly large amount of soy. Often, Japanese women consume around five portions of soy every day.

However, this can be achieved much more easily than you might imagine.

Soy products are readily available at all British supermarkets. Just a few examples of soy foods women can adopt into their diet include soya yoghurt, miso soup, and tofu, which can be used to create a whole range of meals, such as a stir-fry, scramble or curry.

Meanwhile edamame, which are soybeans in their pods, are a tasty snack that can be eaten throughout the day – or added as a topping to other meals.

And even if you can’t reach five portions a day, any increase in soy consumption will likely have a beneficial effect on menopause symptoms.

Obviously, I don’t believe that soy will prevent women from experiencing any menopause symptoms. Even in Japan, Singapore and China, there are those who struggle with these issues.

But growing research shows that what we eat is a key decider in when – and how severely – we will inevitably go through the menopause.

And, along with sensible diet changes like consuming more oily fish, considerably increasing our fibre intake from seeds, beans, fruits and vegetables and eating far fewer processed meats and sweetened foods, adding soy is another tool in the toolbox against the worst of the menopause.