We can all remember times when our lives have felt like giant dumpster fires, but it’s a different thing to feel like you, yourself, are one. Hot flashes are one of the most uncomfortable symptoms of perimenopause. Yet there’s one surprising source of help: Foods that keep you more comfortable.
Hot flashes—officially called vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS)—come on with little warning. These scorching power surges can keep you up at night (the dreaded night sweats), leaving you and your mattress topper soaked. If this is what they mean by “Hot girl summer,” we’d rather not.
Hot flashes (or hot flushes) are often described as a feeling of intense heat in the upper body that sends a hot feeling up through your chest, neck, and face. They can occur over two years or more, varying in frequency intensity from mild to call-the-fire-department. If you lose too much body heat, you may then feel chilled, which is…wait for it…a cold flash.
The exact interplay of estrogen and hot flashes isn’t entirely understood, but they may be an indicator of your body trying to help itself function as it always has. As estrogen falls, nerve cells in the brain get overstimulated and affect the part of the brain that regulates body temperature (1). That means even when your body is at a normal temperature, the brain continues to turn the temperature up and down, causing hot flashes, explains Yves-Richard Dole, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
But knowing what causes hot flashes is cold comfort to the roughly 75 percent of women who experience them.
About the Experts
Neha Lalani, M.D., an Austin-based board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist practicing at Bluebonnet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
It shouldn’t shock you that many of the foods we already know are healthy are also foods that help with menopause hot flashes. To be clear, these are not magic: don’t think of them as foods that get rid of hot flashes in one meal. Rather, a diet that includes these types of foods has been shown to help. Here’s what the science shows.
1. Soy
Soy contains soy isoflavones, naturally occurring plant compounds that bind to estrogen receptors in the body (5, 6). Soy, a phytoestrogen, acts somewhat like hormonal estrogen in the body, helping to smooth out the ups and downs that lead to hot flashes (7).
Clinical studies show that women who eat 20 to 60 grams of soy per day experience less intense and fewer hot flashes, according to Mount Sinai Medical School. You can eat soy in a range of ways: edamame, tofu, tempeh, soy milk and cheese, miso paste—even soy oil. Whole soybean foods like soy milk have the most soy isoflavones.
2. Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are at very low levels in plants, so to get measurable hot-flash-reducing effects, you need to eat them regularly. Good sources of phytoestrogen include:
Flaxseeds
Dried fruit, especially dates, prunes and apricots
Fruits, such as peaches, berries, grapes, and apples
Lentils
Mung beans
Alfalfa
Wheat germ
Garlic
Sesame seeds
Grains – Wheat, rye, oats and barley
Dairy – cow’s milk, yogurt and butter
3. Cooling foods
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) advocates “cooling foods,” which some women swear by as a natural remedy for hot flashes during menopause. The idea is that when your body is too hot, cooling foods counteract the heat. Because of the high amount of water and fiber in these foods, and their association with anti-inflammatory effects, it certainly can’t hurt to add more to your diet (8). According to the Cleveland Clinic, cooling foods include:
Cucumber
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Radish
Bok choy
Romaine
Watermelon
Pears
Apples
4. Omega-3 fatty acids
The jury is officially still out on the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids in taming hot flashes. Some studies show omega-3 supplements make no difference; others show it can help. However, overall, omega-3 fatty acids are great to include in your diet: they promote heart and brain health, fight inflammation, and may help with anxiety and depression (9).
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids—such as fatty fish like salmon and sardines, flaxseeds, chia seeds, avocados, and walnuts—are also part of the Mediterranean diet. One study showed that women who eat the Mediterranean diet are 20 percent less likely to experience hot flashes (10).
5. Fruits and veggies
Colorful plates are always a good idea, but they may offer bigger benefits during this phase. One study suggests eating fruits and veggies can help with menopause weight loss and hot flashes (11). Aim for nutrient-rich leafy greens, berries, and citrus, and high-fiber produce, including:
Apples
Citrus, such as oranges and grapefruit
Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
Broccoli
Kale
Spinach
Asparagus
6. Complex carbs
Blood glucose spikes—high highs and low lows—and insulin resistance have been linked to more frequent and severe hot flashes (12). The risk for insulin resistance increases with menopause, so keeping blood sugar spikes under control is key. What spikes blood glucose? Sugar, which is found in nearly all carbs, but is the most dense in high-GI foods like soda and candy. Low-GI, fiber-dense carbs—like whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies—digest slowly, and won’t spike your blood sugar. These include:
Whole grain cereal, including oats and bran
Bread including whole grain, multigrain, rye, and sourdough
Rice including basmati, long grain, and brown rice
Grains such as quinoa, barley, and couscous
Pasta including soba noodles and rice noodles
Legumes, such as black beans and chickpeas
Nuts, such as almonds and pistachios
Vegetables, such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and green beans
Starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squash
Fruits, such as apples, pears, berries, oranges, and stone fruits
Certain foods seem to cause hot flashes, or at least are associated with more severe symptoms. Avoid or go easy on foods that can trigger or exacerbate VMS, advises Lalani. Here’s what science says:
Sugary foods
Menopause is associated with insulin resistance when the body’s cells don’t respond as well to the hormone insulin. High insulin resistance is linked to hot flashes and night sweats and puts you at risk of diabetes, according to research from the University of Washington School of Public Health.
Processed foods
Research shows that women who eat more ultra-processed foods have worse hot flashes (13). Why? Hot flashes are related to high blood pressure and these foods tend to raise it. Experts recommend limiting the amount of baked goods, sugary drinks, fried foods, butter and margarine, and packaged and fast foods.
Spicy foods
The natural flushing and sweating associated with spicy food and peppers can trigger hot flashes.
Caffeine
The compound that wakes you up can narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure, which can bring on hot flashes, one 2015 study found (14).
Alcohol
Alcohol is known to exacerbate hot flashes and night sweats in some women, according to the Menopause Society. Exactly why you may get more hot flashes when you drink isn’t known. It may be because alcohol dilates your blood vessels, raising body temperature, or it may be because alcohol disrupts hormones.
Chocolate
We know, we know. But in addition to the caffeine in chocolate, there’s also sugar, so you may be paying for your pleasure with a bit of extra heat. However, one study showed that eating a small amount of chocolate during a specific time window in the day may help postmenopausal women burn fat and decrease blood sugar (15). So there’s that because you’d have to be superhuman to totally give up chocolate.
Of course, you can’t cut out everything fun all the time, and you may not have to. Keep a diary to see which of the above has a direct effect on your hot flashes, so you know what to really stay away from.
How What You Eat Turns Up the Heat
Food and diet can naturally cause hot flashes, no matter your age or sex. And during the menopause transition is no exception.
Hot and spicy foods
Think about your old Uncle Howie mopping his brow after demonstrating how he can handle even the spiciest of ghost peppers: Spicy and hot (temperature-wise) food and drink can cause your head, face, and neck to sweat. This is simply the body’s natural response to the rise in temperature, according to the National Hyperhidrosis Society.
Hunger
Some research also shows that a drop in blood glucose can trigger hot flashes (2). That’s why some people get them when they’re hungry.
Fasting
The popular practice of intermittent fasting (eating only for a certain window of time each day, or eating very little a few days a week) can have a big impact on hormones, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It reduces the amount of estrogen and progesterone in your body, which can bring on—you guessed it—hot flashes. So don’t take fasting to extremes. It can be more productive to focus on what you’re eating rather than when.
Having a bigger body
Being a heavy person may or may not have to do with what you eat and how fit you are, but either way, women who are medically classed as obese are more likely to report frequent severe hot flashes than women who aren’t considered overweight, according to the University of Chicago school of medicine. Conversely, weight loss is associated with a decrease in hot flashes.
An overall healthy diet
This, happily, helps with hot flashes. “Make sure to consume a diet rich in protein, fresh fruits, and vegetables,” says Neha Lalani, M.D., a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist who practices at Bluebonnet Diabetes & Endocrinology, in Austin, Texas. Not only does research show that this can help with hot flashes (3), but it also has a positive impact on blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduces inflammation (4), lowers the incidence of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes, increases lifespan, and promotes healthy aging, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
The Bottom Line
Eating a particular food here or there isn’t enough to stop hot flashes. But eating an overall healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet that’s rich in foods including omega-3 fatty acids, cooling foods such as fresh fruits and veggies, and phytoestrogen foods such as soy has been shown to help. Processed foods, sugary foods, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and chocolate may also make hot flashes worse—so you might want to steer clear.
Jennifer Howze is an award-winning journalist, writer, editor, and social media entrepreneur based in London. She has worked at or contributed to some of the most prestigious media organizations, including The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast, and Hachette Filipacchi.
