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 red clover isoflavones on menopausal symptoms, lipids and vaginal cytology in menopausal women: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Background . The unexpected results of the Women 's Health Initiative study have decreased the use of conventional hormone therapy ( HT ) , changing physicians ' and patients ' attitudes towards HT and increasing their interest in alternative options . Objective . The present study aim ed to evaluate the effect of isoflavones contained in red clover extracts ( Trifolium pratense ) on menopausal symptoms , lipids and vaginal cytology in menopausal women . Methods . Sixty postmenopausal women aged > 40 years , non-users of HT , with Kupperman index score ⩾15 , were double-blindly r and omized to receive either a commercially available red clover isoflavone supplement ( 80 mg/day ) or placebo for 90 days . Subsequently , after a 7-day washout period , subjects switched to receive the opposite treatment for a further 90 days . Kupperman index score was determined and fasting blood and vaginal cytologic sampling performed at baseline , 90 and 180 days . Results . Fifty-three women ( 88.3 % ) completed the trial . Mean age was 51.3 ± 3.5 years , 69.7 % of the women were aged 50 years or more . There was no significant effect on body mass index , weight or blood pressure after either treatment phase . Baseline Kupperman index score decreased significantly after each treatment phase , with the decrease more pronounced after the isoflavone phase ( baseline : 27.2 ± 7.7 ; after isoflavone : 5.9 ± 3.9 ; after placebo : 20.9 ± 5.3 , p < 0.05 ) . Red clover isoflavone supplementation significantly decreased the rate of menopausal symptoms and had a positive effect on vaginal cytology as expressed by improvement in karyopyknotic , cornification and basal cell maturation indices . Mean total cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglyceride levels also decreased ; however , only the latter was significantly lower compared with placebo . Conclusions . Compared with placebo , red clover isoflavone supplementation in postmenopausal women significantly decreased menopausal symptoms and had a positive effect on vaginal cytology and triglyceride levels
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 .