Hormones control so much more in our bodies than we give them credit for. Thyroid hormones give us energy, insulin regulates our blood sugar, and of course, there are our sex hormones. And the food we eat can affect these in huge ways!

Early menopause can occur in women as young as in their twenties, resulting in hot flashes and other uncomfortable side effects. A new study to be published by the North American Menopause Society in the October issue of the journal Menopause finds that a plant-based diet rich in soy can significantly reduce hot flashes.

Neal Barnard, MD joins us this episode to talk more about this study. He is president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, founder of the Barnard Medical Center, an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.

His federally funded diabetes research revolutionized the nutritional approaches to type 2 diabetes, and he now aims to empower readers with life-changing information on hormones and health.

The study is already online and can be read here.