|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
| SEARCH | SUBSCRIBE | ||
Want to support Global Action on Aging? Click below: Thanks!
|
 |
Limited Gain Found in Soy Pills
By JOHN O'NEIL, New York Times June 3, 2003 Pills with a soy compound were no better than a placebo at relieving the symptoms of menopause, according to a Finnish study published yesterday in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. A number of studies have found conflicting but often disappointing results for foods and supplements that contain vegetable substances bearing chemical resemblances to estrogen. The new study, by researchers from Helsinki University Central Hospital, enlisted 56 breast cancer survivors, who are usually told to avoid hormone replacement therapy because it can raise the risk of the cancers' recurrence. The women were randomly assigned to take a pill with phytoestrogen or a placebo for three months. Then, after a two-month break, they were switched to the other regimen. The phytoestrogen pills did raise the level of estrogenlike compounds circulating in the blood, the article said, and was not linked to any harmful side effects. But there was no difference on a scale that measures symptoms like hot flashes. Women taking each pill reported a slight improvement, yet when asked whether they would like to continue the medication, more women on the phytoestrogen pills said yes than those on the placebo. The lead researcher, Dr. Eini Nikander, said that some small studies had shown that foods rich in soy offered modest relief for mild symptoms of menopause. Women seeking alternatives to hormone treatment should also try making "other healthy changes in lifestyle," like getting more sleep and reducing stress, he said. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
|
