These plant substances are very similar to prescription estrogen products and can be found in herbs and plant foods, especially soy, but also in apples, carrots, garbanzo beans, garlic, green beans, peas, barley, oats and rye. The amounts present are very small so post-menopausal symptoms may not be relieved by just adding these foods to your diet. In contrast to synthetic hormone replacement therapy, there has not been a large amount of research on phytoestrogens. However, they have been used in small groups of women for years. These women reported decreases of postmenopausal symptoms and cholesterol levels and prevention of bone loss - the same effects seen with estrogen products prescribed by your physician.
Herbal supplements containing phytoestrogens are available over the counter.
They are usually sold without prescriptions and are largely unregulated. It's possible that these products may not contain sufficient amounts of estrogen to relieve your symptoms or to protect your heart and bones.