DWhen I went through menopause I was told to avoid foods rich in estrogen, such as soy, flax seeds and legumes, because they could stimulate hormones and increase the risk of tumors. It is true? Should I delete them?
Doctor Federica Almondo responds
Specialist in Food Science, trained at Dietology and Obesity Center of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milanthe Doctor Federica Almondo it is a point of reference in personalized nutrition, preventive medicine and anti-aging pathways.
After founding and directing Cerva 16 – Nutrition & Anti-aging Center, he created a STUDIO ALMONDO – NUTRITION & LONGEVITYa place where science, technology and a human approach meet to create tailor-made programs. It deals with tools such as genetic tests (DNA), assessments of the state of the intestinal microbiota, analysis of oxidative stress, body composition, indirect calorimetry. But also ANS Analysiss to build highly personalized diets with approach holistic and scientifically validatedsuitable for even the most complex needs.
With excellent training and skills ranging from nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics to nutraceutics, metabolomics and epigeneticsAlmondo is also recognized for her work on intestinal health, menopause, chronic stress management and optimization of psycho-physical energy. Particular attention to ketogenic therapya nutritional approach now totally validated by scientific literature such as effective intervention in many complex pathologiesincluding type 2 diabetes, PCOS, fibromyalgia and lipedema and much more.
Here is his answer to the question.
Doctor Federica Almondo.
Is it better to avoid foods rich in estrogen during menopause?
It’s one of the questions I receive most often. And it’s also one of the most misunderstood.
When it comes to “estrogen-rich foods” during menopause, we need to do some scientific claritybecause the risk of creating useless alarmism he is tall. We read online that soy “increases estrogen” or that flax seeds “stimulate hormones”, but these statements do not take into account how the molecules involved actually work and what the most up-to-date evidence says today.
Let’s get things in order.
The foods do not contain human estrogens. They may contain phytoestrogens, plant substances such as soy isoflavones or flax lignans, which have a similar structure to estrogen but a much weaker and more selective action on receptors. They do not behave like classic hormone therapy, nor like that with bioidentical hormones.
Safety on breast and endometrium
The most recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses do not show an increase in clinically relevant markers of estrogen stimulation (such as endometrial thickening or significant increase in estradiol) in post-menopausal women who consume soy as a food.
In other words: no biological signals are observed that indicate real, potentially harmful estrogenic activation.
A review published on Nutrients in 2023 concludes that food consumption of soy Not causes measurable estrogenic effects on breast or endometrial tissue in healthy post-menopausal women.
Even in the most updated observational data on women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer Not an increased risk of relapse emerges associated with dietary consumption of soy; some analyzes even suggest an association with better outcomes, especially with moderate consumption.
This point is much clearer today than it was ten years ago.
Effects on hot flashes
The most recent meta-analyses show a modest but possible effect of isoflavones on the reduction of hot flashes.
They are not a replacement therapy and cannot be considered an alternative to hormones. However, in some women they may offer a benefit.
But be careful, the answer is not the same for everyone! The effect, in fact, is variable, because an interesting element comes into play: the microbiota.
The role of the microbiota (equol)
Only a portion of women is able to produce equol, a more active metabolite than others derived from soy isoflavones.
The most recent research suggests that so-called “equol-producers” may respond better to phytoestrogens. This explains why some women report improvements and others do not.
It’s not the soy itself that “works or doesn’t work.” It is the organic soil that makes the difference.
Food ≠ supplement
Scientific societies clearly distinguish between:
- Soy as a traditional food (tofu, tempeh, legumes, soy drink)
- Concentrated high-dose isoflavone supplements
The North American Menopause Society’s 2023 Position Statement on Non-Hormonal Therapies highlights that phytoestrogenic supplements have variable efficacy and that long-term safety evidence at high doses is less robust than for dietary consumption.
What does it really make sense to avoid during menopause?
Not legumes.
Not flax seeds.
Not tofu.
It makes much more sense to reduce:
- alcohol
- ultra-processed products
- excess of simple sugars
Because the real driver of metabolic risk in menopause is not a plant phytoestrogen, but insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and visceral fat accumulation.
The correct message
In the absence of specific clinical contraindications, there are no “estrogenic” foods to eliminate during menopause.
Rather, there is a need to build a diet that modulates inflammation, microbiota and metabolism.
And yes, legumes are also part of it. They are often looked at with suspicion because they “contain phytoestrogens”, but in reality they are rich in fibre, vegetable proteins and bioactive compounds that help glycemic stability and intestinal balance: exactly what the body needs in this phase.
