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 .
Comparison of 70 mg and 35 mg isoflavone soya supplement for menopause symptoms.
Previous studies have reported a 20—30 % reduction of climacteric symptoms with placebo and additional reductions of 10—20 % using soy preparations providing 30—104 mg/day of isoflavones . However most studies were based on data from postmenopausal women . Their hormone status was quite different when compared to women undergoing menopause transition ( MT ) . A single center prospect i ve and r and omized study was conducted to investigate the effect of insoflavone supplements with different doses in climacteric symptoms in women undergoing MT . After initial screening 48 women were recruited and assigned to two groups 35 mg and 70 mg groups with treatment duration of 6 weeks . Isoflavone supplements were prepared from soy extract in 325 mg capsules containing 17.5 mg of isoflavones per capsule ( Phyto Soya Arkopharma Laboratories Pharmaceutique France ) . Modified Greene ’s climacteric scale with three additional symptoms ( frequency incontinence and vaginal dryness ) was used to assess climacteric symptoms . ( excerpt
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 .