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 .
The effect of dietary soy supplementation compared to estrogen and placebo on menopausal symptoms: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of daily ingestion of dietary soy supplementation , low-dose hormone therapy ( HT ) and placebo on psychological , somatic and urogenital symptoms in postmenopausal women . STUDY DESIGN A double-blind , r and omized , controlled trial . Sixty healthy , symptomatic , postmenopausal women of 40 - 60 years of age were allocated to use dietary soy supplementation ( containing 90 mg of isoflavone ) or HT ( 1 mg estradiol and 0.5 mg norethisterone acetate ) or placebo . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES the Menopause Rating Scale ( MRS ) was used to assess menopausal symptoms at baseline and after 16 weeks of treatment . Intention-to-treat analyses were performed using the chi-square test , Fisher 's exact test , the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test and analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) . RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found between the groups with respect to baseline clinical and sociodemographic characteristics . The psychological , somatic and urogenital symptoms analyzed in the MRS improved during treatment in all the groups , except for urogenital symptoms in the placebo group in which no significant changes were detected . Comparison between groups revealed a statistically significant improvement in somatic symptoms ( hot flashes and muscle pain ) in the users of HT ( -45.6 % ) and dietary soy supplementation ( -49.8 % ) . Urogenital symptoms ( vaginal dryness ) improved significantly in HT users ( -38.6 % ) and in users of the dietary soy supplementation ( -31.2 % ) . There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to overall MRS score or to scores obtained in the psychological symptoms subscale . CONCLUSION Dietary soy supplementation may constitute an effective alternative therapy for somatic and urogenital symptoms of the menopause
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 .