Four trials that were not combined in meta-analyses suggested that extracts with high ( > 30 mg/d ) levels of genistein consistently reduced the frequency of hot flushes .
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone therapy has traditionally been used as a highly effective treatment , but concerns about increased risk of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternative treatments .
Some of the most popular of these treatments are foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens-plant-derived chemicals that have estrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of food products , extracts and dietary supplements containing high levels of phytoestrogens when compared with no treatment , placebo or hormone therapy for the amelioration of vasomotor menopausal symptoms ( such as hot flushes and night sweats ) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
Clinical outcomes of a 2-y soy isoflavone supplementation in menopausal women.
BACKGROUND Soy isoflavones are naturally occurring phytochemicals with weak estrogenic cellular effects . Despite numerous clinical trials of short-term isoflavone supplementation , there is a paucity of data regarding longer-term outcomes and safety . OBJECTIVE Our aim was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of soy hypocotyl isoflavone supplementation in healthy menopausal women as a secondary outcome of a trial on bone health . DESIGN A multicenter , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled 24-mo trial was conducted to assess the effects of daily supplementation with 80 or 120 mg aglycone equivalent soy hypocotyl isoflavones plus calcium and vitamin D on the health of 403 postmenopausal women . At baseline and after 1 and 2 y , clinical blood chemistry values were measured and a well-woman examination was conducted , which included a mammogram and a Papanicolaou test . A cohort also underwent transvaginal ultrasound measurements to assess endometrial thickness and fibroids . RESULTS The baseline characteristics of the groups were similar . After 2 y of daily isoflavone exposure , all clinical chemistry values remained within the normal range . The only variable that changed significantly was blood urea nitrogen , which increased significantly after 2 y ( P = 0.048 ) but not after 1 y ( P = 0.343 ) in the supplementation groups . Isoflavone supplementation did not affect blood lymphocyte or serum free thyroxine concentrations . No significant differences in endometrial thickness or fibroids were observed between the groups . Two serious adverse events were detected ( one case of breast cancer and one case of estrogen receptor-negative endometrial cancer ) , which was less than the expected population rate for these cancers . CONCLUSION Daily supplementation for 2 y with 80 - 120 mg soy hypocotyl isoflavones has minimal risk in healthy menopausal women . This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT00665860
Four trials that were not combined in meta-analyses suggested that extracts with high ( > 30 mg/d ) levels of genistein consistently reduced the frequency of hot flushes .
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone therapy has traditionally been used as a highly effective treatment , but concerns about increased risk of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternative treatments .
Some of the most popular of these treatments are foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens-plant-derived chemicals that have estrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of food products , extracts and dietary supplements containing high levels of phytoestrogens when compared with no treatment , placebo or hormone therapy for the amelioration of vasomotor menopausal symptoms ( such as hot flushes and night sweats ) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .