Opting for Plant-Based Foods Instead of Animal Products Leads to Weight Loss, Reduction in Hot Flashes in Postmenopausal Women, Finds New Study

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A diet that replaces animal products with plant-based foods—whether unprocessed or ultra-processed—and includes soybeans can lead to significant weight loss and a reduction in severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women, according to new research by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in the journal Menopause.

“Avoiding animal products and instead eating vegan foods including veggie burgers, breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables is a prescription for fighting hot flashes,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Even plant-based foods that are considered ultra-processed—like soy milk and vegan meat and yogurt alternatives—bring health benefits, including weight loss and a reduction in hot flashes.”

The new research is a secondary analysis of data from a Physicians Committee study previously published in the journal Menopause. In the study, 84 postmenopausal women reporting two or more moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily were randomly assigned to either the intervention group that was asked to follow a low-fat vegan diet, including a half cup cooked soybeans a day, or to the control group that continued their usual diet for 12 weeks.

Severe hot flashes were reduced by 92% in the vegan group and did not change significantly in the control group. Moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased by 88% in the vegan group compared to 34% in the control group. Body weight decreased by about 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) in the vegan group and about half a pound (0.2 kg) in the control group.

The new research analyzed if the level of food processing in the foods the participants ate played a role in the reduction of hot flashes and weight loss. The participants’ dietary records were analyzed, and all foods—both animal products and plant-based foods—were categorized using the NOVA system, which assigns foods to categories based on their level of processing. NOVA category 1 is defined as unprocessed or minimally processed foods; category 2 includes processed ingredients, such as salt, sugar, oil, and butter; category 3 includes processed foods made by adding salt, sugar, preservatives; and category 4 is composed of ultra-processed foods, greatly modified by industrial techniques and processes.

Consumption of unprocessed, minimally processed, and ultra-processed animal products decreased in the vegan group, compared with the control group, which was associated with weight loss and a reduction in severe hot flashes. The level of processing of plant foods was not associated with changes in body weight or hot flashes, suggesting that benefits of increasing plant foods is independent of processing level.