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Frequency Of Phytoestrogen Consumption And Symptoms At Midlife Among Bangladeshis In Bangladesh And London, Lynnette Leidy Sievert, Taniya Sharmeen, Khurshida Begum, Shanthi Muttukrishna, Osul Chowdhury, Gillian R. Bentley

Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series

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 …

Do Japanese American Women Really Have Fewer Hot Flashes Than European Americans? The Hilo Women's Health Study, Daniel E. Brown, Lynnette Leidy Sievert, Lynn A. Morrison, Angela M. Reza, Phoebe S. Mills

Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series

Objective

Many studies have found a significantly lower frequency of reported hot flashes (HFs) in Japanese and Japanese American (JA) populations, leading to speculation about possible dietary, genetic, or cultural differences. These studies have relied upon subjective reports of HFs. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare both reported and objective HFs measured by sternal and nuchal skin conductance among JA and European American (EA) women.

Design

Two surveys of hot flash frequencies were carried out among women of either EA or JA ethnicity, aged 45-55, living in Hilo, Hawaii, and not using exogenous hormones. The first was …