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Harvard Medical School Researcher Recommends Soy & Vitamin E as
Alternative to HRT
Washington
DC, 15 November 2002
More
health experts are recommending soy foods and Vitamin E for women
going through menopause, following the Women's Health Initiative
study that found risks of heart disease and other problems from
hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Dr.
JoAnn E. Manson of Harvard Medical School was a principal investigator
for the Women's Health Initiative and now counsels women to use
soy foods such as soy milk or tofu on a daily basis. She also suggested
that women can take Vitamin E and that "it's probably best to combine
the two."
Both
soy and Vitamin E, which in its natural form is made from soybeans,
have long been seen as helping reduce hot flashes, night sweats,
and disturbed sleep for women going through menopause. In the wake
of adverse findings for hormone use in the Women's Health Initiative
study, both soy and Vitamin E are receiving renewed attention.
An
estimated 15 million women had been taking hormone therapy until
the study revealed that [for many women] the risks of taking hormone
combinations outweighed the benefits. The projected eight-year study
was canceled after five years because of the findings.
Tufts
University's Health & Nutrition Letter, a leading medical
and health publication, said in a special report on "life after
hormone therapy" that many women are "at a loss" about what to do
now.
Interviewed
in the Health & Nutrition Letter, Dr. Manson, professor of
medicine at Harvard Medical School, recommended alternatives including
soy foods and Vitamin E.
For
soy, Dr. Manson suggests one to two servings a day. "Many women
will get some relief with just one or two glasses of soy milk a
day or increasing tofu," she said, "and that could be maintained
safely in the diet very long- term."
For
Vitamin E, Dr. Manson recommended daily intake of 400 to 800 units.
"Women might want to try this together with soy," she said, noting
that it's probably best to combine the two.
Source
Foods
for the Future.
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