Why are menopausal and postmenopausal women
potentially at risk when eating soy

Soy rates as one of the most controversial foods in the world, and the debate rages on about whether soy is good for you, or bad for you.

One of the main concerns is for menopausal, or postmenopausal women, who eat soy without knowing the risks they may be adding to their health.

While soy may have some nutritional benefits, some researchers believe that the potential risks far outweigh the benefits.

What is soy and how is it used?

Soybeans are legumes that first originated in the Eastern part of Asia, but are now being produced on a large scale in the US.¹

Because it is cheap, relatively easy to manufacture, and contains some micronutrients, soy products in the form of protein meal, or soybean oil, are used in all sorts of processed foods in the US, if not worldwide. Some of these foods include hot dogs, cheese, burgers, cereals and sports bars, among many others.²

Although it may state on the label that the product contains soy, many people do not read labels and are eating soy without even knowing it.

Traditional soy foods such as tofu, are also available, as are as are soybeans which can be eaten whole.

Note, however, that soybeans MUST be cooked before eating. In the raw state, they are poisonous.

Why are menopausal and postmenopausal women potentially at risk when eating soy?

More and more women are looking for natural alternatives when it comes to treatment for menopausal symptoms. This interest has prompted the food and supplement industries to come up with so-called natural products to ease the symptoms of menopause.

Because soy contains phytoestrogens, which are plant-derived estrogens, many of the products and supplements contain various forms of soy.

Although these estrogens may indeed ease some of the symptoms of menopause, they do pose certain risks, as they have no resemblance to the estrogen produced in the body.

Here are some of the risks women who eat soy may be exposed to:

Women who eat soy may be at a greater risk for osteoporosis later in life. Soy contains phytates, which are beneficially high in anti-oxidants, but there is an unfortunate downside. Phytates bind to certain minerals in your intestines including iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, blocking the absorption of these vital minerals into the system. The lack of minerals like calcium and magnesium, raises the risk for women, especially in those in menopause, of developing arthritic problems.³
According to researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University, consuming soy containing phytoestrogens may lead to an estrogen overload which can feed tumors which are estrogen dependent, especially in the case of breast cancer.⁴
Soy intake is also discouraged for women who have a history of other cancers, such as uterus or ovarian, which may be sensitive to estrogen.
According to Dr Johnathan Wright MD, a noted US practitioner, research has indicated that by eating the pseudo phytoestrogens daily, you can ingest as much estrogen as taking a chemically manufactured birth control pill.
The estrogen receptors in the body absorb the false estrogens – which are not the same as those made in the body – as they have no way of knowing the difference, leaving you vulnerable to the potentially dangerous side effects of the synthetic hormones.⁵
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic also indicated that the phytoestrogens in soy have almost no effect on menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness.⁶

The connection between soy, menopause, and thyroid

The thyroid plays a major role in regulating the body’s hormones and influences the heart, brain, kidneys, and the reproductive system. While symptoms such as fatigue, depression, weight gain, and mood swings are usually associated with menopause, the symptoms of an under-active thyroid, are almost the same.

Women with persistent menopausal-like symptoms, which do not go away even when taking estrogen, may also be suffering from a possible thyroid disease.⁷

It is possible though, that you may have severe menopause symptoms, as well as an undiagnosed under active thyroid because the symptoms very closely overlap. A blood test can establish if you have hypothyroidism, and if that is the case, the doctor will likely put you on a medication like Synthroid.⁸

This medication has the potential to ease some of the severe symptoms, especially those which are overlapping with menopausal symptoms. The conclusion is that treating thyroid disorders can help to manage menopause symptoms, as well as lower the risk of long-term loss of bone density.

This is where soy comes in as enemy number one!

Soy is a food with compounds that may lead to an enlarged thyroid gland, known as a goiter. Several studies have also shown that soy lowers, and often inhibits, the body’s ability to absorb synthetic thyroid meds such as Synthroid.⁹

Low thyroid hormones can aggravate the risk of menopausal symptoms of heart disease.¹⁰

If you are peri-menopausal, menopausal, post-menopausal, or simply have an underactive thyroid, eating significant amounts of soy, will put you at risk of upsetting your entire hormonal system.¹¹

The dangers of soy consumption seem to far outweigh any benefits soy may offer to ease menopause symptoms.

We can help!

If you are searching for a natural solution to restore estrogen levels, we can help you.

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy or BHRT is scientifically proven to be much safer than conventional synthetic hormone treatment, and unlikely to have any of the potentially dangerous side effects of traditional HRT treatment.

BHRT is also eminently safer and does not pose any of the health risks presented by the phytoestrogen and phytates contained in soy supplements, and soy products.

Synthetic hormones bear no resemblance whatsoever to the hormones made in the body, and as such are considered as aliens by your system.

BHRT hormones are made from all-natural plant-based ingredients and are exactly the same as the hormones made in the body, therefore being completely free of any harmful chemical substances.

More and more doctors are recommending the BHRT route for women who are increasingly reluctant to take synthetic hormones which may present unpleasant side effects.

For more information on BHRT treatment visit us at www.renewmetoday.com to take the hormone health test and find out how we can help you live well because you can.

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