More than 80% of menopausal women experience hot flashes.

Previous research has shown that hot flashes can increase a person’s risk for certain diseases and negatively impact their sleep.

Researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have now found that following a low-fat vegan diet that includes soy makes changes in the gut microbiome. Some of these changes were linked to a decrease in menopause-related hot flashes by as much as 95%.

More than 80%Trusted Source of people at menopause experience vasomotor symptoms, commonly known as hot flashes.

Past studies show that individuals who have hot flashes are at a higher risk for diseases such as osteoporosisTrusted Source, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetesTrusted Source, and cardiovascular diseaseTrusted Source.

Additionally, hot flashes can cause sleep disruptionsTrusted Source that can negatively impact a woman’s overall health.

Hot flashes can sometimes be reduced through lifestyle modifications like maintaining a healthy weightTrusted Source, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and not eating spicy foods.

Now, new research recently published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine says that following a low-fat vegan diet that includes soy leads to a decrease of menopausal hot flash by as much as 95%.

Why a vegan diet? 

According to Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and lead author of this study, one of the reasons she wanted to study the effect of a vegan diet on hot flashes is because obesity is a risk factor for hot flashes.

“Research, including our ownTrusted Source, shows that a vegan diet promotes weight loss and can help fight obesity,” Dr. Kahleova told Medical News Today. “A vegan diet also avoids meat and dairy products, which are high in saturated fat and compounds called advanced glycation end-products Trusted Source, both of which cause inflammation that can contribute to hot flashes.”

“Also, some research shows that women who have hot flashes may be at increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer, and a vegan diet can help lower the risk of both,” she added.

Although estrogen and estrogen-progestin medications can be used to treat hot flashes, Dr. Kahleova said they have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular problems.

“Vegan diets, on the other hand, can reduce these risks, and research shows that soy products are associated with a reduction Trusted Source in breast cancer risk,” she added.