Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial investigates the effects of a vegan diet on total food costs per day.

Dietary advanced glycation end-products and postmenopausal hot flashes: A post-hoc analysis of a 12-week randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Postmenopausal hot flashes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Because dietary advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) may act as endocrine disruptors, this study examined the potential association of modifications to the intake of dietary AGEs with the frequency and severity of postmenopausal hot flashes. METHODS: Postmenopausal women (n = 84) reporting ≥2 moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The former were asked to follow a low-fat, vegan diet, including cooked soybeans (1/2 cup [86 g]/day) for 12 weeks, and the latter continued their usual diets for 12 weeks. Frequency and severity of hot flashes were recorded with a mobile application. Three-day diet records were analyzed using the Nutrition Data System for Research software and dietary AGEs were estimated, using a database. Seventy-one participants completed the whole study and 63 provided complete hot flash and dietary data for the AGEs analysis (n = 31 in the intervention and n = 24 in the control group). Pearson correlations were used to assess the association between changes in hot flashes and dietary AGEs. RESULTS: Dietary AGEs decreased in the intervention group by 73 %, that is by 5509 ku/day on average (95 % -7009 to -4009; p < 0.001), compared with the control group (+458; 95 % CI -835 to +1751; p = 0.47; treatment effect -5968 ku/day [95 % CI -7945 to -3991]; Gxt, p < 0.001). Severe hot flashes decreased by 92 % (p < 0.001) and moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased by 88 % in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Changes in dietary AGEs correlated with changes in severe (r = +0.39; p = 0.002) and moderate hot flashes (r = +0.34; p = 0.009) and remained significant after adjustment for changes in energy intake (r = +0.45; p < 0.001; and r = +0.37; p = 0.004, respectively) and changes in body mass index (r = +0.37; p = 0.004; and r = +0.27; p = 0.04, respectively). The reduction in dietary AGEs required to achieve a predicted reduction in hot flashes by 1/day was 6933 ku/day for severe and 4366 ku/day for moderate-to-severe hot flashes. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in dietary AGEs with a low-fat plant-based diet was associated with a significant reduction in the frequency of severe and moderate-to-severe postmenopausal hot flashes, independent of changes in energy intake and weight loss. Plant-based diets could be used not only to alleviate vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women, but also to reduce other health risks associated with AGEs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04587154.

Nutrition in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis: A review.

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissues outside the uterine lining, typically on the external surface of the uterus, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, abdominal wall, or intestines. The prevalence of endometriosis in North America, Australia, and Europe is ~1-5% in women of reproductive age. Treatment options for endometriosis are limited. While over-the-counter medications may be used to reduce acute pain, hormonal treatments are common and may interfere with fertility. In more severe cases, laparoscopic excision procedures and even hysterectomies are used to treat the pain associated with endometriosis. Nutritional interventions may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis and associated pain. Reducing dietary fat and increasing dietary fiber have been shown to reduce circulating estrogen concentrations, suggesting a potential benefit for individuals with endometriosis, as it is an estrogen-dependent disease. Meat consumption is associated with greater risk of developing endometriosis. Anti-inflammatory properties of plant-based diets may benefit women with endometriosis. Additionally, seaweed holds estrogen-modulating properties that have benefitted postmenopausal women and offers potential to reduce estradiol concentrations in pre-menopausal women. Furthermore, consumption of vitamin D has been shown to reduce endometrial pain via increased antioxidant capacity and supplementation with vitamins C and E significantly reduced endometriosis symptoms, compared with placebo. More randomized clinical trials are needed to elucidate the role of diet in endometriosis.

A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Postmenopausal vasomotor symptoms disrupt quality of life. This study tested the effects of a dietary intervention on vasomotor symptoms and menopause-related quality of life. METHODS: Postmenopausal women (n = 84) reporting at least two moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily were randomly assigned, in two successive cohorts, to an intervention including a low-fat, vegan diet and cooked soybeans (½ cup [86 g] daily) or to a control group making no dietary changes. During a 12-week period, a mobile application was used to record hot flashes (frequency and severity), and vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms were assessed with the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. Between-group differences were assessed for continuous ( t tests) and binary ( χ2 /McNemar tests) outcomes. In a study subsample, urinary equol was measured after the consumption of ½ cup (86 g) of cooked whole soybeans twice daily for 3 days. RESULTS: In the intervention group, moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased by 88% ( P < 0.001) compared with 34% for the control group ( P < 0.001; between-group P < 0.001). At 12 weeks, 50% of completers in the intervention group reported no moderate-to-severe hot flashes at all. Among controls, there was no change in this variable from baseline ( χ2 test, P < 0.001). Neither seasonality nor equol production status was associated with the degree of improvement. The intervention group reported greater reductions in the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire vasomotor ( P = 0.004), physical ( P = 0.01), and sexual ( P = 0.03) domains. CONCLUSIONS: A dietary intervention consisting of a plant-based diet, minimizing oils, and daily soybeans significantly reduced the frequency and severity of postmenopausal hot flashes and associated symptoms.