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 .
Evaluation of soy phytoestrogens for the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: A North Central Cancer Treatment Group Trial.
PURPOSE Hot flashes represent a significant clinical problem for some breast cancer survivors . Safe , effective treatment is needed for this prominent clinical problem . Although it has been shown that estrogen or progesterone replacement therapy can alleviate this problem , there are continued safety concerns regarding the use of hormonal therapies in these women . Based on anecdotal information , we hypothesized that soy-derived phytoestrogens , weak estrogen-like substances in the soybean that demonstrate estrogen agonist and /or antagonist effects when they bind to estrogen receptors , could alleviate hot flashes . This current trial was design ed to investigate this hypothesis . PATIENTS AND METHODS This double-blind clinical trial involved breast cancer survivors with substantial hot flashes . After r and omization , patients underwent a 1-week baseline period with no therapy . This was followed by 4 weeks of either soy tablets or placebo . The patients then crossed over to the opposite arm in a double-blind manner for the last 4 weeks . Patients completed a daily question naire documenting hot flash frequency , intensity , and perceived side effects . RESULTS Of the 177 women who were r and omized and started the study substance , 155 ( 88 % ) provided useable data over the first 5 weeks ; 149 provided usable data over the entire 9 weeks . There was no suggestion that the soy product was more effective in reducing hot flashes than the placebo . At study completion , patients preferred the soy product 33 % of the time , the placebo 37 % of the time , and neither substance 31 % of the time . No toxicity was observed . CONCLUSION The soy product did not alleviate hot flashes in breast cancer survivors
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 .