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 .
Lack of effect of isoflavonoids on the vagina and endometrium in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of soy-derived isoflavones on vaginal epithelium and the endometrium . DESIGN Double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled crossover trial . SETTING Outpatient clinic of a university hospital . PATIENT(S ) Sixty-four postmenopausal women with a history of breast cancer . INTERVENTION(S ) The women took ( in a r and omized order ) 114 mg of isolated isoflavonoids or placebo in tablets daily for 3 months ; the treatment regimens were crossed over after a 2-month washout period . The subjects were studied before and on the last day of each treatment period . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S ) Vaginal dryness , maturation index ( MI ) of vaginal epithelium , endometrial thickness , histology , and expression of estrogen ( E ) and progesterone ( P ) receptors and the proliferation marker Ki-67 in the endometrium . RESULT ( S ) Isolated isoflavones did not relieve vaginal dryness . Maturation index values remained unchanged during the isoflavone regimen , but decreased during the placebo regimen . No changes were found in any of the variables measured in the endometrium . CONCLUSION ( S ) Daily administration of 114 mg of isolated isoflavones for 3 months had no effect on the subjective perception of vaginal dryness or on objective findings in the vagina or endometrium . This implies safety with regard to the endometrium
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 .