USA: ‘Consumer Reports’ publication recommends soy products, vitamin E as menopause treatments

One of the nation's largest consumer organizations has weighed in on the health benefits of soy products and of Vitamin E, both being increasingly recognized as disease-fighters. "Soy can lower cholesterol. "Vitamin E and soy may be helpful for mild hot flashes." Those findings come from the publication of Consumers Union, the Consumer Reports on Health. Looking at menopause treatments, the publication first advises an "in-depth, ongoing conversation with your doctor about your personal and family risk factors.""The era of the one-size-fits-all hormone prescription for post-menopausal women is drawing to a close," the health publication said. "The alternative hormone regimens and other preventive medication types now available make it possible to customize menopause treatment to fit the symptoms, health risks, and personal preferences of individual women."Vitamin E and soy are recommended as "alternative treatments." Hormones may be risky for women with heart disease, the publication said, and "alternatives to estrogen" are recommended for consideration.The consumer publication's view on soy products and Vitamin E as treatments for menopausal problems follows a recent study conducted by a team of six medical scientists, including doctors from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, which determined that soy isoflavone is effective in reducing the frequency and several of menopausal hot flashes in women."Soy isoflavone extracts provide an attractive addition to the choices available for relief," the study concluded.