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A Vegan Diet Alters Gut Bacteria Associated with Menopausal Hot Flashes
Earlier this year, the Physicians Committee published a groundbreaking clinical trial, the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms, which found that adherence to a low fat, plant-based diet over 12 weeks with the addition of half a cup of soybeans per day reduced moderate-to-severe hot flashes by 88%.1 A secondary analysis of this trial analyzed the stool samples of a subset of participants, and found that a decrease in certain gut bacteria, namely Porphyromonas and Prevotella corporis, was associated with the reduction in severe hot flashes.2
References
- Barnard ND, Kahleova H, Holtz DN, et al. A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial. Menopause. 2023;30(1):80-87. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002080
- Kahleova H, Holtz DN, Strom N, et al. A dietary intervention for postmenopausal hot flashes: a potential role of gut microbiome. An exploratory analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2023;79:103002. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2023.103002
