Hi Burchers - I presume you mean taking them for menopausal symptoms?
The information on taking soya and other phyto-oestrogens seems to be very mixed, mainly due to the fact that none of the studies were the same and taking different phyto-oestrogens and not long term, but here is some information I found!
There is some limited information on this website here about phyto-oestrogens which soya is rich in:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/phytoestrogens.phpThe patient arm of the British Menopause Society – Women's Health Concern has produced a fact sheet on alternatives here:
https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/complementaryalternative-therapies-menopausal-women/Women's Health Concern fact sheet on alternative remedies:
Phytoestrogens (plant oestogens found in the diet):
Plant oestrogens such as Isoflavones do help with hot flushes , and genistein and red clover were found to be more effective in significantly reducing anxiety as compared with placebo, although the benefits may not last for more than a few weeks For women with breast cancer, it seems Isoflavones are not helpful and there may be concerns about their safety profile.A recent Cochrane review (which looks at lots of studies and pools the results) found this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4389700/Efficacy of phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms:
Phytoestrogens appear to reduce the frequency of hot flushes in menopausal women, without serious side-effects.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, results of this meta-analysis indicate that, while phytoestrogens did not bring a decrease in KI compared to placebo, their use was associated with a reduction in the hot flush frequency and their side-effects were no more common than those with placebo. While the available data do not support the recommendation of phytoestrogens for relief of all menopausal symptoms, some patients may benefit from their use in reducing hot flushes as these compounds also seem to be well tolerated. As the current data are inconclusive, further study of phytoestrogens for the relief of menopausal symptoms and their potential long-term adverse effects is warranted.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists also produced a scientific paper on alternatives to HRT but this is now out of date (2010). Look at page 4 for phyto-oestrogens
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/scientific-impact-papers/sip_6.pdfOne study from 2011:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2024026/Soy-does-NOT-ease-symptoms-menopause.html2 year study University of Miami 2011
Soy tablets do not cut symptoms of the menopause in older women or improve bone strength, researched have warned.
Many women have turned to natural remedies to cope with symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweating and low mood because, it is claimed, they fear the side effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy.
But a two-year study by researchers at the University of Miami of almost 250 women virtually no difference between those taking 200mg soy tablets daily or dummy pills.
Women who took the supplements every day for two years didn't have any improvement in their symptoms compared with those who took a soy-free placebo pill. They also suffered more hot flashes by the end of the study.An up-to-date review from oregon state university in US:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/soy-isoflavones#reference143Some of the summary points from the above review:
Current evidence from observational studies and small clinical trials is not robust enough to understand whether soy protein/isoflavone supplements may help prevent or inhibit the progression of prostatecancer.
To date, randomized controlled trials examining the effect of soy isoflavones on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women have produced mixed results. Potential benefits of soy isoflavones as an alternative to bone-sparing treatments in women undergoing menopause remain to be determined.
Supplementation with isoflavones appeared to be about 40% less efficient than hormone-replacement therapy in attenuating menopausal hot flashes and required more time to reach its maximum effect. Yet, supplements containing primarily the isoflavone genistein have demonstrated consistent alleviation of menopausal hot flashesN American Menopause Society study in 2010 – results:
https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-document-library/psisoflavones11.pdf'sfvrsn=2From the hundreds of studies reviewed in this report, there are mixed results of the effects on midlife women. Soy-based isoflavones are modestly effective in relieving menopausal symptoms; supplements providing higher proportions of genistein or increased in S(Y)-equol may provide more benefits. Soy food consumption is associated with lower risk of breast and endometrial cancer in observational studies. The efficacy of isoflavones on bone has not been proven, and the clinical picture of whether soy has cardiovascular benefits is still evolving. Preliminary findings on cognitive benefit from isoflavone therapy support a critical window hypothesis wherein younger postmenopausal women derive more than older womenOn this basis - although the results are inconclusive - and especially if you are post-menopausal and experiencing minor symptoms they might be worth a try or if still having regular periods but starting to get a few symptoms. However if you are suffering severe symptoms and are younger than the average age of menopause, unless you cannot take HRT for medical reasons then only HRT will really help.
It is always worth making sure your diet is rich in a variety of natural fresh unprocessed foods if you can.
I hope this is helpful to you and others
Hurdity x
