ABSTRACT
Very little is known about the relation between isoflavone intake and menopausal symptoms in Korean woman To find the effects and correlations between these factors, questionnaires(maternal factors, menopausal symptoms) anthropometric measurement, 24hr dietary recalls, and urinary isoflavones analysis were conducted in 100 postmenopausal women residing in the Kyunggi-do rural area. The average age hight and weight of the subject were 61.5 years, 153.6 cm and 56.2kg. The average age at menarche, menopause, and menstrual cycle were 16.7 years, 47.2 years, 29.8 years, respectively. Most of the postmenopausal women experienced mildly menopausal symptoms. The mean calorie, protein and calcium intake were 1417.6 kcal(74.7% of the Korean RDA) 53.2 g(88.6% of the Korean RDA) and 454.0mg(65.6% of the Korean RDA) respectively. The ration of energy from carbohydrate, protein, and fat was 68: 15: 17 The average isoflavone intake from soy foods was 27.27 mg. The major food source of the isoflavone were soybeans and soybean curd. The average urinary isoflavone excretion was 2. 78nmol/mg Cr and showed significant positive correlation with isoflavone intake. Isoflavone intake from soy foods had a negative correlation with the severity of menopausal symptoms. Therefore, soy foods which contain isoflavone may have a protective effect on menopausal symptoms of women in Korea.