Findings seen regardless of the level of processing of the plant-based diet
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A plant-based diet rich in soy, regardless of the level of processing, may benefit both hot flash and weight management in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online May 27 in Menopause.
Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., and colleagues assessed associations between consumption of processed foods, body weight, and severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women. The analysis included 84 participants randomly assigned to a low-fat vegan diet supplemented with soybeans (42 individuals) or an omnivorous control group (42 individuals) for 12 weeks.
The researchers found that the reduction in consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed animal foods in the vegan group was associated with weight loss (r = +0.45) and a reduction in severe hot flashes (r = +0.31). Similar results were found between a reduction in consumption of ultra-processed animal foods and weight loss (r = +0.43). In the vegan group, consumption of ultra-processed plant-based foods changed only minimally and was not associated with changes in weight or hot flash frequency.
“This study highlights the potential positive effects of a plant-based diet rich in soy (regardless of the level of processing) in terms of both hot flash and weight management,” Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of The Menopause Society, said in a statement. “Given these and the other known benefits in terms of lowering heart disease and cancer risk, women in midlife should consider leaning into a plant-based diet.”
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