The Diet That Reduces Postmenopausal Weight Gain, Hot Flashes, & More

In this week’s health news…

A prescription for plants

“Eat plants” may not seem like breaking news, but what’s new here is…

❝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.

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.❞

~ Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

In terms of numbers, those who switched to a plant-based diet for the duration of the 12-week study enjoyed:

• 92% reduction in severe hot flashes (compared to no reduction in the control group)
• 88% reduction in moderate hot flashes (compared to 34% reduction in the control group)
• 8 lbs reduction in weight (compared to 8 oz reduction in the control group)

Read in full: Plant-based diet reduces weight and hot flashes in postmenopausal women, finds new study

Related: The Whys and Hows of Cutting Meats Out Of Your Diet

Mediterranean Diet vs IBS

When it comes to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), what’s usually recommended is a low-FODMAP diet. Which works, but it’s a very restrictive diet, and can be difficult to adhere to, especially if one wants to get plenty of fiber (which someone with IBS still needs).

This new study found that the Mediterranean diet (famously rich with plants) resulted in meeting the criteria for IBS symptom amelioration in 73% of cases—compared to 82% in the low-FODMAP group of the same study.

In other words, low-FODMAP is still slightly better for IBS, but a) only slightly better b) much more restrictive

…which may make the Mediterranean diet an option well-worth seriously considering, for many:

Read in full: Mediterranean diet provides symptom relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome in pilot study

Related: Four Ways To Upgrade The Mediterranean Diet

Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths Steadily Rising In The US

Most people know that alcohol is bad for us in many ways, but most don’t know that alcohol causes cancer. Literally, nationwide polling in the US found that only 45% knew this.

While alcohol consumption levels are overall going down on a population level, this is largely due to growing younger generations of non-drinkers or rarely-drinkers, while older drinkers are dying from alcohol-related cancers at an increasing rate:

❝[Dr. Jani et al.] found that between 1990 and 2021, the total number of alcohol-related cancer deaths nearly doubled in the U.S., rising from just under 12,000 deaths per year to just over 23,000.

The burden is especially high in men over 55, who saw their alcohol-linked cancer mortality rise by a bit over 1% every year between 2007 and 2021❞

Furthermore,

❝Among all cancers combined, the percentage of cancer deaths likely due to alcohol consumption increased by nearly 50% between 1990 and 2021.❞

Read in full: Alcohol-fueled cancer deaths are on the rise in the US

Related: How Much Alcohol Does It Take To Increase Cancer Risk?

Take care!