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 .
Vasomotor Symptom Relief by Soy Isoflavone Extract Tablets in Postmenopausal Women: A Multicenter, Double‐Blind, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Study
Objective : To determine the safety and efficacy of an oral soy isoflavone extract for relief of  menopausal hot flushes . Design : This was a double‐blind , r and omized , parallel group , outpatient , multicenter ( 15 sites ) study . A total of 177 postmenopausal women ( mean age = 55 years ) who were experiencing five or more hot flushes per day were r and omized to receive either soy isoflavone extract ( total of 50 mg genistin and daidzin per day ) or placebo . Physical examinations and endometrial and biochemical evaluations were performed upon admission and completion . Body weight , symptoms , and safety were evaluated at all visits . Results : Relief of vasomotor symptoms was observed in both groups . Decreases in the incidence and severity of hot flushes occurred as soon as 2 weeks in the soy group , whereas the placebo group experienced no relief for the first 4 weeks . Differences between evaluable subjects in both groups were statistically significant over 6 weeks ( p = 0.03 ) . Over 12 weeks , between‐group differences approached significance ( p = 0.08 ) . Endometrial thickness evaluated by ultrasound , lipoproteins , bone markers , sex hormone‐binding globulin and follicle‐stimulating hormone , and vaginal cytology did not change in either group . Conclusions : Soy isoflavone extract was effective in reducing frequency and severity of flushes and did not stimulate the endometrium . Soy isoflavone extracts provide an attractive addition to the choices available for relief of hot flushes . ( Menopause 2000;7:236‐242 . © 2000 , The North American Menopause Society .
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 .