Latest news with #StephanieFaubion
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
This Diet May Ease Menopause Symptoms, New Study Suggests
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study has found that a low-fat vegan diet—regardless of how processed the food is—can significantly reduce hot flashes and promote weight loss. The research, conducted by The Menopause Society and published in the journal Menopause, explored how plant-based eating can benefit women in midlife. "This study highlights the potential positive effects of a plant-based diet rich in soy, regardless of the level of processing, in terms of both hot flash and weight management," Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement. "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." A stock image of a vegan burger with avocado. A stock image of a vegan burger with avocado. Getty Images The study followed existing data that found a plant-based diet can reduce hot flashes, in part by aiding with weight loss. But with many plant-based foods being highly-processed, the Ohio-based society wanted to find out whether the type of food consumed, be it vegan, ultra-processed or animal-based, affected hot flash severity. Participants in the trial were randomly assigned to follow either a low-fat vegan diet supplemented with soybeans or an omnivorous diet under supervision. Both groups reported similar levels of hot flash frequency and severity at the outset. Over a 12-week period, those in the vegan group reported a 92 percent reduction in severe hot flashes. Their average weight loss was 3.6 kilograms, compared to a negligible 0.2 kilogram change in the omnivorous control group. Significantly, the benefits in the vegan group remained consistent whether their food was minimally processed or highly processed, indicating that the critical factor was the source of the food—plant-based versus animal-based—rather than the degree of processing. The findings challenge traditional views that all processed foods are detrimental to health, at least within the context of a vegan diet. For alternative ways to manage hot flashes, Newsweek spoke with Tonie Reincke, M.D., a Texas-based specialist in interventional radiology who has experienced hot flashes firsthand. "Speaking not only as a physician, but also as a woman who has experienced hot flashes, several things that I found helpful to reduce these include layering my clothing to quickly cool down, carrying a portable fan, and drinking ice water throughout the day," Reincke said. "Herbal supplements such as black cohosh and primrose oil may help some women, though results can vary, and hormone replacement therapy is an option under medical supervision." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about menopause? Let us know via science@ Reference Kahleova, H., Znayenko-Miller, T., Jayaraman, A., Motoa, G., Chiavaroli, L., Holubkov, R., & Barnard, N. D. (2025). 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.
CNN
25-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women's health
In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the longstanding study. For decades, the initiative – conducted by the National Institutes of Health – has tracked the health of tens of thousands of women to understand how to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more in women after menopause. Seminal findings from the project have included the risks of using certain kinds of hormone therapy for menopause – helping prevent an estimated 126,000 breast cancer diagnoses – and the finding that vitamin D does not help prevent bone loss. The work has led to more than 2,400 scientific publications overall, shaping clinical practice and public health policies across multiple disciplines in the US. On Monday, the program announced that HHS planned to terminate contracts with its regional centers in September, a move that would 'significantly impact ongoing research and data collection.' Investigators were awaiting more details Thursday when an update from HHS indicated that plans had changed. 'These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women's health,' HHS told CNN in a statement. 'While NIH initially exceeded its internal targets for contract reductions, we are now working to fully restore funding to these essential research efforts. NIH remains deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and we are taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies.' In a social media post Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that 'we are not terminating this study.' 'We all recognize that this project is mission critical for women's health,' he wrote. Experts say that cuts to one of the largest long-term studies on women's health would be a critical loss, jeopardizing invaluable datasets and important studies already in the works. 'We already have serious gaps in women's health that need to be addressed,' Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Women's Health Specialty Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and medical director for The Menopause Society, said when the funding cuts were announced. The Trump administration has identified addressing chronic disease as one of its top priorities, and the Women's Health Initiative has a unique ability to do that. 'When you compare a person to themselves over time, it allows you to much more definitively answer questions about the causes or the factors that contribute to the development of those kinds of diseases that we're all worried about, whether it's heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, fractures, things like that,' said Dr. Rebecca Thurston, a prominent women's health researcher. 'It's the ability to follow a large number of people over time.' The launch of the Women's Health Initiative in 1992 marked a major shift in the way medical research regarded women, experts say. 'For many years, we thought about women as essentially small men when it came to many chronic diseases,' Thurston said. There had been a prevailing view that women's health was only about 'bikini medicine,' focused on reproduction and the areas of the body that a bikini covers, she said. 'I think the Women's Health Initiative, and subsequently other studies, have really underscored that things like cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia and brain aging, they have unique features in women and unique contributors,' Thurston said. 'That means that we really have to study women specifically, that they're not interchangeable with men, and that women's health is more than bikini medicine.' The historical lack of inclusion of women in medical research is why funding for a project like the Women's Health Initiative is so important, said Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 'WHI centers have become a source of invaluable data and drive research on treatments to address some of the most common health concerns for postmenopausal women, such as heart disease and breast cancer,' she said in a statement. Thurston says that some major findings from the Women's Health Initiative were being published at a formative time in her career and led to the work she does now, researching menopause, cardiovascular disease and brain aging. 'This study has been answering really important questions on really prevalent health issues,' she said. 'We need to keep the science going. It's so important if we want to prevent heart disease, prevent cancer, keep our bones healthy, keep our brains healthy. We need to be doing this research.' CNN's Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
CNN
25-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women's health
In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the longstanding study. For decades, the initiative – conducted by the National Institutes of Health – has tracked the health of tens of thousands of women to understand how to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more in women after menopause. Seminal findings from the project have included the risks of using certain kinds of hormone therapy for menopause – helping prevent an estimated 126,000 breast cancer diagnoses – and the finding that vitamin D does not help prevent bone loss. The work has led to more than 2,400 scientific publications overall, shaping clinical practice and public health policies across multiple disciplines in the US. On Monday, the program announced that HHS planned to terminate contracts with its regional centers in September, a move that would 'significantly impact ongoing research and data collection.' Investigators were awaiting more details Thursday when an update from HHS indicated that plans had changed. 'These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women's health,' HHS told CNN in a statement. 'While NIH initially exceeded its internal targets for contract reductions, we are now working to fully restore funding to these essential research efforts. NIH remains deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and we are taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies.' In a social media post Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that 'we are not terminating this study.' 'We all recognize that this project is mission critical for women's health,' he wrote. Experts say that cuts to one of the largest long-term studies on women's health would be a critical loss, jeopardizing invaluable datasets and important studies already in the works. 'We already have serious gaps in women's health that need to be addressed,' Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Women's Health Specialty Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and medical director for The Menopause Society, said when the funding cuts were announced. The Trump administration has identified addressing chronic disease as one of its top priorities, and the Women's Health Initiative has a unique ability to do that. 'When you compare a person to themselves over time, it allows you to much more definitively answer questions about the causes or the factors that contribute to the development of those kinds of diseases that we're all worried about, whether it's heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, fractures, things like that,' said Dr. Rebecca Thurston, a prominent women's health researcher. 'It's the ability to follow a large number of people over time.' The launch of the Women's Health Initiative in 1992 marked a major shift in the way medical research regarded women, experts say. 'For many years, we thought about women as essentially small men when it came to many chronic diseases,' Thurston said. There had been a prevailing view that women's health was only about 'bikini medicine,' focused on reproduction and the areas of the body that a bikini covers, she said. 'I think the Women's Health Initiative, and subsequently other studies, have really underscored that things like cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia and brain aging, they have unique features in women and unique contributors,' Thurston said. 'That means that we really have to study women specifically, that they're not interchangeable with men, and that women's health is more than bikini medicine.' The historical lack of inclusion of women in medical research is why funding for a project like the Women's Health Initiative is so important, said Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 'WHI centers have become a source of invaluable data and drive research on treatments to address some of the most common health concerns for postmenopausal women, such as heart disease and breast cancer,' she said in a statement. Thurston says that some major findings from the Women's Health Initiative were being published at a formative time in her career and led to the work she does now, researching menopause, cardiovascular disease and brain aging. 'This study has been answering really important questions on really prevalent health issues,' she said. 'We need to keep the science going. It's so important if we want to prevent heart disease, prevent cancer, keep our bones healthy, keep our brains healthy. We need to be doing this research.' CNN's Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women's health
In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the longstanding study. For decades, the initiative – conducted by the National Institutes of Health – has tracked the health of tens of thousands of women to understand how to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more in women after menopause. Seminal findings from the project have included the risks of using certain kinds of hormone therapy for menopause – helping prevent an estimated 126,000 breast cancer diagnoses – and the finding that vitamin D does not help prevent bone loss. The work has led to more than 2,400 scientific publications overall, shaping clinical practice and public health policies across multiple disciplines in the US. On Monday, the program announced that HHS planned to terminate contracts with its regional centers in September, a move that would 'significantly impact ongoing research and data collection.' Investigators were awaiting more details Thursday when an update from HHS indicated that plans had changed. 'These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women's health,' HHS told CNN in a statement. 'While NIH initially exceeded its internal targets for contract reductions, we are now working to fully restore funding to these essential research efforts. NIH remains deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and we are taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies.' In a social media post Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that 'we are not terminating this study.' 'We all recognize that this project is mission critical for women's health,' he wrote. Experts say that cuts to one of the largest long-term studies on women's health would be a critical loss, jeopardizing invaluable datasets and important studies already in the works. 'We already have serious gaps in women's health that need to be addressed,' Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Women's Health Specialty Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and medical director for The Menopause Society, said when the funding cuts were announced. The Trump administration has identified addressing chronic disease as one of its top priorities, and the Women's Health Initiative has a unique ability to do that. 'When you compare a person to themselves over time, it allows you to much more definitively answer questions about the causes or the factors that contribute to the development of those kinds of diseases that we're all worried about, whether it's heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, fractures, things like that,' said Dr. Rebecca Thurston, a prominent women's health researcher. 'It's the ability to follow a large number of people over time.' The launch of the Women's Health Initiative in 1992 marked a major shift in the way medical research regarded women, experts say. 'For many years, we thought about women as essentially small men when it came to many chronic diseases,' Thurston said. There had been a prevailing view that women's health was only about 'bikini medicine,' focused on reproduction and the areas of the body that a bikini covers, she said. 'I think the Women's Health Initiative, and subsequently other studies, have really underscored that things like cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia and brain aging, they have unique features in women and unique contributors,' Thurston said. 'That means that we really have to study women specifically, that they're not interchangeable with men, and that women's health is more than bikini medicine.' The historical lack of inclusion of women in medical research is why funding for a project like the Women's Health Initiative is so important, said Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 'WHI centers have become a source of invaluable data and drive research on treatments to address some of the most common health concerns for postmenopausal women, such as heart disease and breast cancer,' she said in a statement. Thurston says that some major findings from the Women's Health Initiative were being published at a formative time in her career and led to the work she does now, researching menopause, cardiovascular disease and brain aging. 'This study has been answering really important questions on really prevalent health issues,' she said. 'We need to keep the science going. It's so important if we want to prevent heart disease, prevent cancer, keep our bones healthy, keep our brains healthy. We need to be doing this research.' CNN's Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
CNN
24-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women's health
In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the longstanding study. For decades, the initiative – conducted by the National Institutes of Health – has tracked the health of tens of thousands of women to understand how to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more in women after menopause. Seminal findings from the project have included the risks of using certain kinds of hormone therapy for menopause – helping prevent an estimated 126,000 breast cancer diagnoses – and the finding that vitamin D does not help prevent bone loss. The work has led to more than 2,400 scientific publications overall, shaping clinical practice and public health policies across multiple disciplines in the US. On Monday, the program announced that HHS planned to terminate contracts with its regional centers in September, a move that would 'significantly impact ongoing research and data collection.' Investigators were awaiting more details Thursday when an update from HHS indicated that plans had changed. 'These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women's health,' HHS told CNN in a statement. 'While NIH initially exceeded its internal targets for contract reductions, we are now working to fully restore funding to these essential research efforts. NIH remains deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and we are taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies.' In a social media post Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that 'we are not terminating this study.' 'We all recognize that this project is mission critical for women's health,' he wrote. Experts say that cuts to one of the largest long-term studies on women's health would be a critical loss, jeopardizing invaluable datasets and important studies already in the works. 'We already have serious gaps in women's health that need to be addressed,' Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Women's Health Specialty Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and medical director for The Menopause Society, said when the funding cuts were announced. The Trump administration has identified addressing chronic disease as one of its top priorities, and the Women's Health Initiative has a unique ability to do that. 'When you compare a person to themselves over time, it allows you to much more definitively answer questions about the causes or the factors that contribute to the development of those kinds of diseases that we're all worried about, whether it's heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, fractures, things like that,' said Dr. Rebecca Thurston, a prominent women's health researcher. 'It's the ability to follow a large number of people over time.' The launch of the Women's Health Initiative in 1992 marked a major shift in the way medical research regarded women, experts say. 'For many years, we thought about women as essentially small men when it came to many chronic diseases,' Thurston said. There had been a prevailing view that women's health was only about 'bikini medicine,' focused on reproduction and the areas of the body that a bikini covers, she said. 'I think the Women's Health Initiative, and subsequently other studies, have really underscored that things like cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia and brain aging, they have unique features in women and unique contributors,' Thurston said. 'That means that we really have to study women specifically, that they're not interchangeable with men, and that women's health is more than bikini medicine.' The historical lack of inclusion of women in medical research is why funding for a project like the Women's Health Initiative is so important, said Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 'WHI centers have become a source of invaluable data and drive research on treatments to address some of the most common health concerns for postmenopausal women, such as heart disease and breast cancer,' she said in a statement. Thurston says that some major findings from the Women's Health Initiative were being published at a formative time in her career and led to the work she does now, researching menopause, cardiovascular disease and brain aging. 'This study has been answering really important questions on really prevalent health issues,' she said. 'We need to keep the science going. It's so important if we want to prevent heart disease, prevent cancer, keep our bones healthy, keep our brains healthy. We need to be doing this research.' CNN's Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
