There is no evidence of effectiveness in the alleviation of  menopausal symptoms with the use of phytoestrogen treatments
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone replacement therapy has traditionally been used as a very effective treatment but concerns over increased risks of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternatives .
Some of the most popular of these are treatments based on foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens , plant-derived chemicals that have oestrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of foods and supplements based on high levels of phytoestrogens for reducing hot flushes and night sweats in postmenopausal women .
Effect of pure genistein on bone markers and hot flushes
Objective To evaluate the effect of 90 mg of daily genistein on markers of bone turnover and menopausal symptoms .  Design This was a cross-over , placebo-controlled study involving 100 postmenopausal women . Subjects were r and omly assigned to daily genistein or placebo for 6 weeks and crossed over to the alternative preparation for the following 6 weeks . Pure genistein was processed and encapsulated in accordance with British Pharmacopoeia st and ards . Each capsule contained 90 mg of pure genistein while the placebo contained just the eccipients . Results In women with significant hot flushes ( score ( intensity × number ) ≥ 9 ) , genistein reduced symptoms by 30 % compared to baseline and the difference compared to placebo was statistically significant . No effect was observed on biochemical markers of bone turnover , possibly due to the short duration of each arm of the study . Genistein reduced osteocalcin , a marker of bone formation , by 3.6 % compared to baseline and 0.31 % compared to placebo ( p = 0.81 and 0.40 , respectively ) . Genistein increased cross-link telopeptide , a marker of bone resorption , by 1.8 % compared to baseline and 0.29 % compared to placebo ; both differences were not statistically significant ( p = 0.078 and 0.88 , respectively ) . Conclusion Pure genistein at a dose of 90 mg per day appears to reduce the number of hot flushes  in postmenopausal women but the effect is mild
There is no evidence of effectiveness in the alleviation of  menopausal symptoms with the use of phytoestrogen treatments
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone replacement therapy has traditionally been used as a very effective treatment but concerns over increased risks of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternatives .
Some of the most popular of these are treatments based on foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens , plant-derived chemicals that have oestrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of foods and supplements based on high levels of phytoestrogens for reducing hot flushes and night sweats in postmenopausal women .