It is fair to say that, for most British women of middle -aged, the menopause is not something that evokes excitement.
This is not surprising, because the hormonal changes in the middle of life are associated with a large number of uncomfortable – and often debilitating symptoms, ranging from hot flashes to sleeping, fear, mood swings and reduced sexual drive.
But not all cultures share the same fear. In Japan the menopause is viewed in a much more positive light.
This is reflected in the word that Japanese uses for this period of life: ‘Konenki’, which translates roughly into ‘the stage of renewal’.
What is behind this difference in attitudes? Many experts claim that it is largely because Japanese women are on average considerably less chance of serious menopause symptoms than in the UK.
Studies show that, although about 61 percent of British women suffer from debilitating problems with menopause, only about 40 percent of Japanese women are affected in this way.
In the meantime, in Singapore the number of women who experience the symptoms of the menopause is even lower – only 17 percent affected.
And as the main food expert at the leading personalized food app Zoe, I believe this is because women in Japan and Singapore eat much more a specific food item than British – and it is something that we can and must take over in our diet today.
Dr. Federica Amati is one of the food scientists behind Diet app Zoe
The majority of women will start with the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Periods become irregular and ultimately stop, and levels of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fall.
It is this fall in the hormone level that is linked to the classic symptoms of the menopause. For this reason, two million women in the UK are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HST) – which contains identical hormones to it 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 that wanted to conclude how important diet was to combat the symptoms of menopause.
In Zoe, where I work with Prof Tim Spector, who won national fame after developing the Covid tracking app, we recommend that people follow a intestinal health diet that complies with the principles of the Mediterranean diet.
This is a rich in fruit, vegetables, whole -grain, pulses and legumes, and contains a larger share of healthier fats from foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds. We also recommend that our users consume such a diverse group of plants as well as fermented foods.
In a first study study we followed the symptoms of menopause of thousands of women who followed the Zoe diet for 200 days.
It is already well established that a bad diet can speed up the arrival and severity of the menopause. Research has shown earlier that women consuming meals heavily in refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, cakes and sugary drinks, starting the menopause three years earlier than those who don’t.
Professor Tim Spector says that his diet helps menopausal women to get their lives back
Our study, however, revealed striking findings that showed that a healthy diet can reduce the severity of the symptoms of menopause as soon as the hormonal changes have already started.
The data showed a significant reduction in the most challenging and common symptoms of the menopause, including a reduction in depression and anxiety.
The biggest impact was on mood swings, with a 44 percent reduction in postmenopausal women – anyone who entered the menopause a year after their last period – compared to the period before the diet started.
Postmenopausal women who followed the Zoe diet plan also found the number of nights of sweat, hot flashes and cold shivers that they experienced, reduced by more than a third.
Women who took HRT also benefited from changing their diet.
This is without a doubt good news.
However, there is a certain food item that I believe that many people – even those who follow it – do not realize that they have to eat to reduce the symptoms of menopause: soy.
Soy foods are derived from the soy, a legumes from East Asia. This includes tofu, soy milk, edamame and natto. Tempeh and Miso are also two popular fermented versions of soy.
Only 17 percent of women in Singapore experience symptoms of menopause
Japanese women often consume about five parts soy every day
It is crucial that soy foods contain phyto -rogues -naturally occurring plant compounds that simulate the effects of estrogen in the body. This means that soy essentially supports healthy estrogen levels naturally.
And for this reason, studies show that women who regularly consume soy have considerably fewer symptoms of menopause. Japan and Singapore are not the only countries where this effect is seen.
In some areas of China where soy is an important feature of the local diet, only 20 percent of women experience symptoms of menopause.
It is important to say that according to our standards, women in these countries eat a strikingly large amount of soy. Japanese women often consume about five parts soy every day.
However, this can be achieved much easier than you could imagine.
Soy products are immediately available at all British supermarkets. Only a few examples of soy food products that women can take over in their diet include soy yogurt, miso soup and tofu, which can be used to make a whole series of meals, such as a stir-fry, twisted or curry.
In the meantime, Edamame, who are soybeans in their pods, have been 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 the soybabone will probably have a beneficial effect on the symptoms of the menopause.
It is clear that I do not believe that soy will prevent women from experiencing each Symptoms of the menopause. Even in Japan, Singapore and China there are people struggling with these issues.
But growing research shows that what we eat is an important decision -maker when – and how serious – we inevitably go through the menopause.
And, along with sensible dietary changes such as consuming more oily fish, which considerably increased our fiber intake by seeds, beans, fruit and vegetables and much less processed meat and sweet food, adding soy is another tool in the toolbox against the worst of the menopause.
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