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Healthnotes Newswire (March 27, 2008)—Many postmenopausal women consume soy hoping that it might reduce their hot flashes and other symptoms. A new study suggests that adding soy isoflavones to the diet can also produce a healthier distribution of body fat─namely, less fat in the abdomen─which could lead to a number of other health benefits.

The study, published in Fertility and Sterility, included 15 postmenopausal women whose last menstrual period was between one and five years before entering the study. They received either a daily soy shake providing 20 grams of protein and 160 mg of isoflavones or a daily milk-based shake with the same amount of protein and calories. After three months, the abdominal fat in the women taking the soy shake had decreased, but had increased in the women taking the milk-based shake.

For better heart health, say goodbye to the jelly belly

While the total amount of body fat is an important indicator of cardiovascular risk, the way the fat is distributed makes a marked difference. When extra body fat accumulates in the abdomen, a pattern sometimes referred to as the “apple shape,” the implications are much more serious than when it is stored in the hips and thighs, or the “pear-shape.” The apple shape has been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, breast and endometrial cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, and coronary artery disease.

Women producing estrogen have a tendency to develop more of a pear shape, but after menopause, when levels are lower, fat distribution often shifts toward the abdomen. Insulin has the opposite effect: more fat is deposited in the abdomen when insulin levels are high, such as occurs in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Shake it up with soy

In this study, drinking a daily soy shake with protein and isoflavones reduced abdominal fat, suggesting one possible way that soy might exert health benefits seen in other studies. Dr. Cindy Sites of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the lead author of the study, said that using the soy shake made it easy for the women to get a high level of soy isoflavones. “Some of the women used the soy shakes mixed with their breakfast cereal, and others tried mixing it with fruit in the blender to make smoothies,” she said.

Getting this daily amount of isoflavones using other soy foods might be more difficult. The equivalents:

• 1 cup of green soybeans, also called edamame

• 1/2 cup of roasted soybeans

• 8 cups soymilk

• 1 pound of tofu, a pound would be needed.

Can eating ordinary amounts of soy foods affect abdominal fat? “Since we only tested the soy shake with a high amount of isoflavones, we don’t know what impact, if any, smaller amounts may have,” Sites answered.

Avoid the apple shape

The best way for postmenopausal women to avoid becoming more apple-shaped is to eat a well-rounded diet that is low in refined carbohydrates (like white flour) and added sugars (including high-fructose corn syrup), and high in:

• whole fruits (not juices) and vegetables

• whole grains

• healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds

• protein from beans and lentils, fish, and lean poultry and meat

Based on the findings of this study, adding a soy shake might also be a good idea.

(Fertil Steril 2007;88:1609¬–17)

Healthnotes Newswire (March 6, 2008)—Concerns over the safety of hormone replacement therapy have menopausal women looking elsewhere for relief. Many doctors recommend staying physically active to relieve menopausal symptoms, and results of the ongoing Penn Study of Ovarian Aging support this advice.

The new study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, looked at 401 women, all of whom were premenopausal at the beginning of the trial, over a period of eight years. The women reported the average amount of time spent exercising each week and any symptoms related to menopause.

Menopausal symptoms tracked in the study included anxiety, sadness, mood swings, depression, stress, irritability, poor concentration/memory, trouble sleeping, headaches, hot flashes, body aches, urine leaks, vaginal dryness, or decreased interest in sex. Based on hormone levels and menstrual cycle length, the women were grouped by menopausal stage, ranging from premenopausal (still having regular periods) to postmenopausal (not having had a period for at least 12 months).

As a whole, women who exercised more (equivalent to walking at a moderate pace for about 40 to 90 minutes per day, five days per week) reported significantly less stress than women who exercised less than the equivalent of walking for 16 minutes per day. Among postmenopausal women, higher levels of physical activity also translated to lower levels of anxiety and depression; this effect wasn’t seen in women in other stages of menopause. Exercise didn’t seem to have an effect on hot flashes, urine leaks, vaginal dryness, or interest in sex in women at any menopausal stage.

Tori Hudson, a naturopathic doctor based in Portland, Oregon, who specializes in women’s health, recommends an exercise program that includes strength, cardio, and flexibility training to help ease menopause symptoms and to protect against heart disease and osteoporosis. Hudson suggests that women who have been inactive should begin slowly and progress gradually, and practice strength exercises under supervision of a qualified exercise consultant.

The researchers concluded that, among menopausal women, “high levels of physical activity are related to lower levels of stress.”

Tips for incorporating exercise into your life

• Make exercise a priority: Just as you make time to eat and brush your teeth every day, make exercise a routine part of life.

• Start small: Some exercise is better than none, so do what you can. Take a walk around the block after lunch, take the stairs when you have a choice, and park farther from your destination to add extra steps to your day.

• Buddy up: Taking a class, making dates to walk or work out with a friend will help motivate you to stick with it.

(Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008;40:50–8)