A new study showing that some women can suffer from hot flashes for up to 14 years has a lot of women breaking into a cold sweat. But there’s really no need to panic. There are natural ways to eliminate or diminish hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, including by eating low-fat vegan foods and exercising regularly.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, women in Asia are less likely to suffer from hot flashes, likely because they consume much less meat and fat than women who eat standard American diets.

Dr. Barnard says that women who eat high-fat foods have more estrogen activity than those on low-fat foods. At menopause, when the ovaries’ production of estrogen comes to a halt, women who eat high-fat foods experience a violent drop in estrogen levels. This drop seems to be less dramatic—and the resulting symptoms are much milder or non-existent—for women with lower estrogen levels.

Dr. Barnard believes that nonsmokers who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, limit their salt and caffeine consumption, and get enough vitamin D are less likely to suffer from hot flashes, broken bones, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms of menopause.

Vitamin E and soy foods can also help with hot flashes, and some people believe that the herbs red clover, black cohosh, and dong quai are also helpful. Some people also recommend plant-based transdermal creams to reduce hot flashes.

All these options are healthier and kinder than the hormone replacement therapy drugs Premarin and Prempro (Premarin combined with progesterone), which contain horse estrogen. In fact, the name “Premarin” is derived from pregnant mares’ urine. Mares raised for this drug are repeatedly impregnated and confined to stalls while their urine is collected in rubber bags that chafe their legs. Their foals are often sold at auction to slaughterhouses.

Both Premarin and Prempro have been shown to increase a woman’s risk of cancer, heart disease, strokes, and potentially fatal blood clots. Estrogen supplements can also cause high blood pressure, gallstones, vaginal bleeding, nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness, skin discoloration, headaches, and depression.

So if you’re concerned about hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, try eating healthy vegan foods and taking other natural approaches to menopause.