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 .
Soy isoflavones and melatonin for the relief of climacteric symptoms: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized study.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of soy isoflavones and melatonin in relieving  menopausal symptoms .  METHODS Double-blind , multicenter , r and omized trial performed according to a 2 x 2 factorial design . Treatment groups : ( 1 ) soy isoflavones+melatonin ; ( 2 ) soy isoflavones alone ; ( 3 ) melatonin alone ; ( 4 ) placebo . 80 mg of soy isoflavones , 3 mg of pure melatonin or placebo were supplemented to participants for 3 months . Severity of menopausal symptoms was recorded at baseline and after 3 months using the Greene Climacteric Scale . RESULTS 388 consecutive women were screened : not eligible 98 , refused informed consent 28 . R and omized 262 and analyzed 232 ; twelve women withdrew because of adverse events .  Median percent differences between basal and final scores were 39 % in the isoflavones + melatonin group , 38 % in the isoflavones alone group , 26 % in the melatonin alone group and 38 % in the placebo group . Placebo response was much higher than planned , making it meaningless to perform any statistical test . With regard to somatic and vasomotor symptoms , outcome was similar among the four groups , whereas improvement of psychological symptoms was higher in the isoflavones+melatonin group than in the other three . CONCLUSIONS Present data do not show any advantage of isoflavones or melatonin over placebo for the relief of menopausal symptoms . However , the effect in psychological symptoms in the isoflavones + melatonin group should be further investigated
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 .