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 .
Efficacy on menopausal neurovegetative symptoms and some plasma lipids blood levels of an herbal product containing isoflavones and other plant extracts.
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of a product containing isoflavones and other plant extracts ( BIO ) on whole menopausal symptomatology and plasma lipids profile . METHODS Multicentre , r and omized , double blind , placebo controlled clinical investigation on 125 menopausal women r and omly assigned to two groups treated for 6 months with placebo or one tablet daily of an herbal product containing 72 mg/dose of isoflavones of different plants origin and other plant extracts ( BIO ) . Primary end-point : Kupperman Menopause Index ( KI ) variations ; secondary end-point : activity on plasma lipids profile and clinical global impression ( CGI ) on efficacy and tolerability by investigators and patients . The usual parametric test ( paired Student t test ) was performed to evaluate the significance . In case of non-applicability of parametric tests , the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used . The differences where considered significant at p<0.05 level . RESULTS At the end of treatment in both groups KI showed a significant decrease ( p<0.001 ) . However , in the BIO group the KI reduction was significantly higher ( p=0.0265 ) than in the placebo group after 4 and 6 months of treatment . In the BIO treated patients the LDL cholesterol showed a borderline but not significant reduction compared to placebo ( p=0.0608 ) and triglyceride ( TG ) a significant ( p=0.0151 ) decrease compared to placebo . The investigator 's and patient 's CGI on BIO group where superior as compared to placebo . Clinical tolerability was good in booth groups . CONCLUSION On the basis of positive effects on KI and lipids profile as well as of good clinical tolerability , BIO can be considered one of the possible alternative therapy for conventional HRT
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 .