Vegan diet linked to reduced hot flashes and body weight

Vegan diet linked to reduced hot flashes and body weight | Image Credit: © marrakeshh – © marrakeshh – stock.adobe.com.

Body weight and hot flashes may be reduced in women consuming a low-fat vegan diet, according to a recent study published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.¹

Plant-based diet may help reduce hot flashes

A secondary analysis also highlighted the same results from a diet of highly processed plant-based foods. Investigators suggested this data may have implications for dietary recommendations among menopausal women.

“This study highlights the potential positive effects of a plant-based diet rich in soy in terms of both hot flash and weight management,” said Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBS, medical director for The Menopause Society. “Given these and the other known benefits in terms of lowering heart disease and cancer risk, women in midlife should consider leaning into a plant-based diet.”

Vegan vs usual diet

Participants included postmenopausal women aged 40 to 65 years with at least 2 moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily.² Those with vasomotor symptoms not caused by natural menopause, currently using a low-fat vegan diet, with a soy allergy, smoking, or with substance abuse, an eating disorder, or a body mass index of 18.5 kg/m².

Participants were randomly assigned to a vegan group or a control group. In the vegan group, patients avoided animal foods and consumed a low-fat plant-based diet. This included fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Patients in the control group continued their usual diets.

The frequency and severity of hot flashes were measured as the primary outcome, tracked across 12 weeks using the My Luna mobile app. Alongside weekly assessments of dietary adherence, participants completed a 3-day dietary record at baseline and week 12. The degree of processing for all foods was evaluated using the NOVA system.

Declines in hot flashes and body weight reported

There were 71 participants included in the final analysis, with no significant differences in covariates reported between groups. A mean of 5.8 total hot flashes were reported in the vegan group vs 5.2 in the control group, most of which were of moderate-to-severe intensity.

The vegan group experienced a 92% reduction in severe hot flashes, while no significant changes were reported in the control group. For moderate-to-severe hot flashes, reductions were 88% in the vegan group and 34% in the control group. Decreases in mean body weight were 3.6 kg and 0.2 kg, respectively.

Changes and associations with outcomes

An effect size of -106 g/d was reported for the reduction in unprocessed or minimally processed animal food consumption in the vegan group vs the control group. This was linked to increased weight loss and a reduction in severe hot flash frequency.

The consumption of processed animal-food consumption and processed plant-based food consumption both decreased by 9 g/d in the vegan group. However, these differences were not statistically significant. In comparison, while the control group did not experience a significant change in ultra-processed animal food consumption, a reduction of 60 g/d was reported in the vegan group.

“In conclusion, these findings suggest that, in the context of a soybean-supplemented vegan diet, replacing the consumption of both unprocessed or minimally processed and ultra-processed animal foods with plant foods (regardless of the level of processing), was associated with significant weight loss and a reduction in severe hot ashes,” wrote investigators.

References

1. Hot flashes may be less bothersome for vegans. The Menopause Society. May 28, 2025. Accessed June 2, 2025. https://menopause.org/press-releases/hot-flashes-may-be-less-bothersome-for-vegans.
2. Kahleova H, Znayenko-Miller T, Jayaraman A, et al. Processed foods in the context of a vegan diet, and changes in body weight and severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2025;32(9). doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002563