I have heard recently that soya can cause problems. I have been relying on this for menopause and post menopausal symptoms, mostly to counteract the drop in oestrogen levels. Is there anything soya free that I could take - preferably a multi tablet - that could do the same thing? The sheer amount of tablets on the market is bewildering and expensive.

There is a lot of conflicting advice about soya, but it does really depend on what form it is in.

Fermented soya products are the ones used in the far east that have the beneficial actions, whereas ordinary soya products may cause hormonal problems with some sensitive people.

We do a fermented soya supplement and there are no contraindications regarding time scale and we are happy to recommend it for general menopause symptoms.

I also tend to recommend a good multi-vitamin to go with this as the menopause puts tremendous strain on the body and anything you can do to support your body at this time will be of benefit.

Eileen Durward