Hormone replacement therapy now has a natural alternative: Soya

‘‘The study shows that soya gives women all the benefits of hormone replacement therapy without the side-effects,’’ said Dr Sunita Mittal, professor and head of obstetrics and gynaecology, who is the co-investigator of the study along with Rekha Sharma, chief dietician at AIIMS.

‘‘There is convincing evidence that hormone replacement therapy has been poorly accepted because of its risk in breast cancer and endometrial cancer. In this context, the world is showing increasing interest in plant-derived estrogen or phytoestrogen,’’ said Dr Mittal.

Phytoestrogens are a large family of plant-derived molecules possessing degrees of estrogen-like activity. Food or food supplements containing phytoestrogens have often been advocated as an alternative to HRT in women. ‘Soy protein, as a part of diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, is a natural phytoestrogen which was said to help. Our aim was to measure its efficacy,’’ added Dr Mittal.

The researchers have studied about 180 patients over 45 years of age. While 90 women were administered about 30 gms of soya flour in their daily meals, an equal number of a control group was studied without changing their diet.

After regular use of soya for six months, hot flashes were reduced from 58 to 40 percent. In a year, there was further reduction to 18 per cent. Where as it increased from 58 per cent to 78 per cent in the control group which was not being given soya. The results were convincing in other symptoms as well, while there was a reduction of backache from 78 per cent to 21 per cent, occurrence of chest pain was reduced from 15 per cent to zero.