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 .
Dietary flour supplementation decreases post-menopausal hot flushes: effect of soy and wheat.
Plants contain compounds with oestrogen -- like action called phytoestrogens . Soy contains daidzin , a potent phytoestrogen , and wheat flour contains less potent enterolactones . We aim ed to show in 58 postmenopausal women ( age 54 , range 30 - 70 years ) with at least 14 hot flushes per week , that their daily diet supplemented with soy flour ( n = 28 ) could reduce flushes compared with wheat flour ( n = 30 ) over 12 weeks when r and omised and double blind . Hot flushes significantly decreased in the soy and wheat flour groups ( 40 % and 25 % reduction , respectively < 0.001 for both ) with a significant rapid response in the soy flour group in 6 weeks ( P < 0.001 ) that continued . Menopausal symptom score decreased significantly in both groups ( P < 0.05 ) . Urinary daidzein excretion confirmed compliance . Vaginal cell maturation , plasma lipids and urinary calcium remained unchanged . Serum FSH decreased and urinary hydroxyproline increased in the wheat flour group
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 .