Frequency of Phytoestrogen Consumption and Symptoms at Midlife among Bangladeshis in Bangladesh and London

There is a longstanding interest in the relationship between diet and hot flash symptoms during midlife, especially in whether phytoestrogens ease menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, and vaginal dryness in relation to the intake of foods rich in phytoestrogens among Bangladeshi women aged 35 to 59 years who were living either in Sylhet, Bangladesh (n = 157) or as migrants in London (n = 174). Consumption ranges for phytoestrogens were constructed from food frequencies. We hypothesized that diets rich in isoflavones, lignans, and coumestrol would be associated with lower symptom frequencies. However, adjusted logistic regression results showed that with each incremental increase in general phytoestrogen consumption (scale of 0…