Q Does the two or three cups of coffee I drink each day make my hot flashes worse? Should I quit?
A Caffeine, spicy food, hot drinks, and alcohol can trigger hot flashes and sweating. Rather than quitting entirely, it helps to cut down and to increase foods with plant estrogens, such as soybeans and tofu.
Detailed Answer
Coffee and caffeinated drinks, spicy and hot foods, and alcohol dilate blood vessels and trigger flushing and sweating more often. On the other hand, foods such as soybeans, tofu, and soybean paste contain plant estrogens (isoflavones) and are known to help relieve menopausal symptoms. Rather than completely cutting out foods you love, a realistic balance is to reduce the irritating ones and increase the helpful ones.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, for those who frequently experience heat sensations, we advise avoiding foods that add heat to the body, and recommend sipping warm water frequently in small amounts instead of caffeine, or drinking longan (yongan-yuk) tea, which calms the mind. While restoring the body's Yin-Yang balance so it reacts less sensitively to the same foods, we help you organize easy-to-keep eating habits first so you can practice them without strain.
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