A new study has found that soy nuts, combined with a regular exercise routine, may serve as an effective treatment for certain side effects of menopause.

The study’s findings were presented May 7 at the American Heart Association's Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology in San Francisco.

Hot flashes dropped by 46% in some

The researchers enrolled 60 postmenopausal women in their study and put them on a diet that was low in saturated fat. For eight weeks, half the women ate soy nuts each day, while the other half did not. Then the two groups switched regimens for another eight weeks. Before the study, the women reported having an average of five hot flashes a day.

Seventy percent of the women in the study didn't exercise vigorously, but instead took part in activities such as walking.

The animals also seemed to tolerate the treatment well, showing few signs of side effects.

More tests needed

However, it is known that loss of fat cells can have detrimental effects, such as the accumulation of fat in non-fat tissue. Researchers also warned that successes in animal tests don’t always map onto human ones. The next phase will be to test the treatment on baboons, which gain weight in a similar manner as humans.

Reference:

1. W. Arap, Chan, L., Kolonin, M.G., Pasqualini, R., Saha, P.K., “Reversal of Obesity by Targeted Ablation of Adipose Tissue,” Nature Medicine, 09 May 2004, doi:10.1038/nm1048.