Drinking soya milk twice a day `reduces hot flushes`

Ladies, please note -- drinking soya milk at least twice a day can reduce hot flushes, and it works better the longer you have it, says a new study. Researchers have found that a couple of daily servings of foods and drinks made from the soya plant led to a reduction in the frequency and severity of hot flushes by 26 per cent in women. Soya contains isoflavones, oestrogen-like plant hormones, which are believed to have a beneficial effect on health. The latest evidence comes from a review of 19 studies involving more than 1,200 women, the `Daily Mail` reported. Hot flushes occur suddenly, lasting about four minutes on average, and produce an uncomfortable feeling of intense heat. Lead author Prof Melissa Melby of Delaware University said: "When you combine them all, we`ve found the overall effect is still positive. If you`re 50 and have never touched soya, it`s not too late. We`ve found that it still helps." The researchers said that when women consumed soya for 12 weeks or more, the drop in frequency of hot flushes was about threefold greater than in shorter trials. Professor Melby examined the impact of isoflavones -- the chemicals found in soya that produce an effect similar to oestrogen. She said ingesting 54mg of soya isoflavones daily for six weeks to a year reduces the frequency of hot flushes by 20.6 per cent and severity by 26 per cent. Prof Melby added: "Eating soya foods, or using supplements derived from whole soya beans, may work better for women."