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 .
The effect of a soy rich diet on the vaginal epithelium in postmenopause: a randomized double blind trial.
BACKGROUND A traditional asiatic phytoestrogen-rich diet is associated with a lower incidence of estrogen-dependent cancers and clinical consequences of postmenopausal estrogen deficiency . First Wilcox in 1990 , showed an increase of the vaginal cell maturation with phytoestrogens on postmenopausal women , but this has not been confirmed in some subsequent studies . METHODS In this study , we analyzed the effects of a 6-month soy-rich diet on the vaginal epithelium of asymptomatic postmenopausal women in a r and omized clinical trial . 187 women were recruited for the study and divided into three groups : a phytoestrogen rich diet group ; a hormonal replacement group , and a control group . A vaginal sample for hormonal cytology was taken before and at the end of the study , and sent unnamed to a cytologist . RESULTS The karyopycnotic index ( KI ) increased significantly in the diet group and in the HRT group but not in the control group . The maturation value ( MV ) had an identical trend to the KI . CONCLUSION We conclude that a soy rich diet is efficacious in increasing the maturation indices of vaginal cells . This effect could be a useful marker of the efficacy of a dietary intervention with phytoestrogen rich foods , and should be considered during preventive interventions against menopausal effects and vaginal atrophy
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 .