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 .
Isoflavones from red clover (Promensil) significantly reduce menopausal hot flush symptoms compared with placebo.
OBJECTIVES To investigate the effectiveness and safety of a red clover isoflavone dietary supplement ( Promensil , Novogen Ltd. , Australia ) versus placebo on the change in hot flush frequency in postmenopausal women . METHODS In this r and omized , double blind , placebo-controlled trial 30 women with more than 12 months amenorrhoea and experiencing more than five flushes per day were enrolled . All received single blind placebo tablets for 4 weeks and were subsequently r and omized to either placebo or 80 mg isoflavones for a further 12 weeks . Efficacy was measured by the decrease in number of hot flushes per day and changes in Greene Climacteric Scale Score . RESULTS During the first 4 weeks of placebo the frequency of hot flushes decreased by 16 % . During the subsequent double blind phase , a further , statistically significant decrease of 44 % was seen in isoflavones group ( P<0.01 ) , whereas no further reduction occurred within the placebo group . The Greene score decreased in the active group by 13 % and remained unchanged in the placebo group . CONCLUSION In this study , treatment with 80 mg isoflavones ( Promensil ) per day result ed in a significant reduction in hot flushes from baseline . At the end of the study there was a significant decrease in hot flushes of 44 % between the active and placebo group , demonstrating the effectiveness of Promensil in the management of hot flushes
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 .