Study Finds Soy Fails to Avert Menopausal Women’s Woes

Soy protein, which has been recommended to menopausal women as a substitute for hormone replacement therapy, did not fend off symptoms such as bone loss in a study of Dutch women released Tuesday.

Naturally occurring compounds called isoflavones found in soybeans are thought to mimic estrogen compounds in hormone replacement therapy.

Some women want to avoid hormone therapy because recent studies have shown long-term use can raise the risk of stroke, dementia and some forms of cancer.

In a one-year study of 175 Dutch women, half of the participants consumed a soy protein supplement daily, while the other half took a milk-based protein. Researchers found the soy protein did not have any effect on declining bone mineral density, elevated cholesterol levels and cognitive difficulties associated with menopause.

However, the researchers said the study might not be conclusive because of the women’s age, from 60 to 75, when menopausal symptoms could already be entrenched.

For instance, loss of bone mineral density is often greater when menopause begins and then tends to slow, said lead researcher Sanne Kreijkamp-Kaspers of the University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Although soy can still be a healthy source of protein, its effect on menopausal symptoms needs to be studied further, she wrote in the report, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.