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 .
A phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of flaxseed for the treatment of hot flashes: North Central Cancer Treatment Group N08C7
Objective Preliminary data suggest that flaxseed , a rich source of dietary lignans , may be a potentially effective treatment of hot flashes . A phase III , r and omized , placebo , controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of flaxseed in reducing hot flashes . Methods Postmenopausal women with or without breast cancer were r and omly assigned to a flaxseed bar ( providing 410 mg of lignans ) for 6 weeks versus a placebo bar . Participants completed daily , prospect i ve , hot flash diaries during the baseline week , and then ate one study bar per day for 6 weeks while recording their daily hot flashes . The intraparticipant difference in hot flash activity between baseline and the last treatment week was the primary endpoint . Adverse effects were evaluated through a self-report and the Common Terminology Criteria assessment . Results A total of 188 women were enrolled in this trial . The mean hot flash score was reduced 4.9 in the flaxseed group and 3.5 in the placebo group ( P = 0.29 ) . In both groups , slightly more than a third of the women received a 50 % reduction in their hot flash score . Only one adverse effect was significantly different between groups , grade 1 pruritus , which was more common in the placebo group ( 8 % vs 1 % ) . Both groups reported abdominal distension , flatulence , diarrhea , and nausea . Adherence and ability to detect treatment assignment did not differ between groups . Conclusions The results of this trial do not support the use of 410 mg of lignans for the reduction of hot flashes . The bars were fairly well tolerated , with both groups reporting gastrointestinal effects , probably due to the fiber content
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 .