The Study
Diet quality, body weight, and postmenopausal hot flashes: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial
This study found that women who ate a vegan diet with soybeans had fewer hot flashes — that’s a strong clue the diet helped. But when they looked at whether certain plant foods like potatoes or fruit juice were better or worse, they only saw patterns, not proof that those foods caused the change.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Women who ate only plants and soybeans for 12 weeks had way fewer hot flashes — even if they ate things like potatoes or sweets instead of 'healthy' plants.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 567 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means women might reduce hot flashes without needing to eat only salads or kale; swapping meat for any plant food helps.
- 292% fewer severe hot flashes, lost 3.6kg on average, and even 'unhealthy' plant foods like sweets and potatoes helped reduce hot flashes.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
BMC Women's Health
Year
2024
Authors
Haley Brennan, Tatiana Znayenko-Miller, Macy Sutton, Richard Holubkov, Neal D. Barnard, H. Kahleová
Related Content
Claims (6)
Among postmenopausal women, a diet that includes whole soybeans and is low in fat led to 59% of participants no longer experiencing moderate-to-severe hot flashes after 12 weeks.
Among people following a low-fat vegan diet, higher intake of plant-based foods—whether considered healthy or unhealthy—is linked to fewer severe hot flashes, independent of changes in body weight.
Postmenopausal women who followed a low-fat vegan diet with soybeans lost an average of 3.6 kilograms in 12 weeks, while those in a control group lost only 0.2 kilograms.
Plant foods labeled as 'healthful' or 'unhealthful' based on their link to chronic diseases show the same level of association with reduced hot flashes when they replace animal products in a vegan diet.
Women aged 40–65 who eat a low-fat vegan diet with 86 grams of cooked soybeans daily for 12 weeks experience a 92% reduction in severe hot flashes compared to women who continue their normal diet.
Postmenopausal women who consume more plant-based foods experience fewer hot flashes, even when their weight does not change, and this is linked to higher fiber, lower fat, or soy isoflavone intake.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.