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 randomized controlled trial of the effect of dietary soy and flaxseed muffins on quality of life and hot flashes during menopause
Objective : To compare the effects of daily ingestion of soy flour ( S ) , ground flaxseed ( F ) , or wheat flour ( W ) muffins , on quality of life and hot flash frequency and severity in postmenopausal women . Design : This was a double-blind , r and omized , controlled , intention-to-treat trial . Ninety-nine women , 1 to 8 years after menopause , ingested muffins with 25 g of flaxseed ( 50 mg of lignans ) , 25 g of soy ( 42 mg of isoflavones ) , or wheat ( control ) daily for 16 weeks . Subjects completed the Menopause-specific Quality of Life instrument monthly along with daily hot flash frequency and severity diaries . Compliance measures included a 3-day food diary and urinary isoflavone and lignan analyses at weeks 0 and 16 and returned muffin counts monthly . Results : Eighty-seven women ( 28 , ground flaxseed muffins ; 31 , soy flour muffins ; and 28 , wheat flour muffins ) completed the trial . Multivariate analysis of variance of all quality -of-life domains yielded an insignificant treatment × time interaction ( F46,122 = 0.92 , P = 0.62 ) but a significant time main effect ( P < .0001 ) . Repeated- measures analyses of covariance controlling for body mass index showed no significant group × time interaction nor time nor group differences on all quality -of-life domains and hot flash measures except severity . Hot flashes were less severe with flaxseed ( P = 0.001 ) compared to placebo ; however , the group × by time interaction was not significant . Phytoestrogen excretion analysis showed treatment group exposure as allocated and no contamination . Conclusion : Neither dietary flaxseed nor soy flour significantly affected menopause-specific quality of life or hot flash symptoms in this study
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 .