Phytoestrogen Supplements in the Treatment of Menopause Symptoms
Black Cohosh Ginkgo Biloba Dong Quai Ginseng Red Clover Soy Vitex Macafem
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh grows in the woods of eastern North America
Ginkgo Biloba
Traditionally used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years
Dong Quai
Dong Quai is often referred to as "the female ginseng"
Ginseng
The Chinese word "rénshén" means "man root" in English
Red Clover
Originates from Asia, parts of Northern Africa, and Central Europe
Soy
Traditionally used in the Orient as a source of protein and medicine
Vitex
Vitex agnus-castus is also called chaste tree
Macafem
Originates from the Andean mountains of Perú

Phytoestrogen Supplements in the Treatment of Menopause Symptoms

Phytoestrogens are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapies (HRT) which have recently been linked with cancer and heart disease. Phytoestrogens occur in plants and have a similar chemical structure as estrogen in human beings. For this reason they are thought to be successful in treating estrogen related illnesses or conditions. Menopause is one such condition which affects all women at some point in their lives and can come with a whole host of uncomfortable side effects. Although phytoestrogens are useful for some menopausal women, the lack of research into plant phytoestrogens means that they are not yet a natural alternative to HRT.

Recent research however, has taken a more detailed look at phytoestrogen and in particular Isoflavone Clover Extract (ICE) which had been used by some menopausal women in the past to relieve hot flashes. In a randomized controlled trail researchers from three separate medical centers in the USA followed a group of 252 menopausal women, all of which were suffering from at least 35 hot flashes a week. Vegetarians and women who ingested large amounts of soy a week were excluded from the trail as their diets may contain more phytoestrogen than the average women regularly consumes. The subjects of this test were randomly assigned clover supplements which contain phytoestrogen, Promensil (82 mg of total isoflavones per day), Rimostil (57 mg of total isoflavones per day), or an identical placebo and were followed by researchers over a 12 week period.

Each woman in the trail kept a daily diary so that researchers could keep track of the effect the phytoestrogen was having on menopausal hot flashes. 246 women finished the trail and a small improvement in hot flashes suffered could be found in all three groups that took part. The first group, who took Promensil, had a mean of 5.1 reductions in hot flashes per day whilst the Rimostil group had 5.4 and the placebo group 5.0. The fact that very little difference in the improvement of hot flashes could be identified in the three groups points to this type of phytoestrogen being ineffective, yet the phytoestrogen in both the Promensil and Rimostil had a small affect on improving hot flashes at a quicker rate than the placebo. Researchers concluded that the results for this type of phytoestrogen were not definitive enough to clinically establish this supplement as an effective treatment for hot flashes.

While this trail did not prove that phytoestrogens are effective in treating menopausal symptoms they should not be disregarded altogether in the treatment of hormonal aliments. Clover is just one source of phytoestrogen and others need to be tested thoroughly before phytoestrogens are dismissed as a treatment for menopause all together.

Main Sections
Macafem
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Dong Quai
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Ginkgo Biloba
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Ginseng
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Soy
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Red Clover
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Black Cohosh
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Vitex
Weight reducing remedies are widely used across the world, particularly in the Middle East where natural remedies are...
Which herb should women try? Today women are looking for relief from their menopause symptoms with herbs. Phytoestrogenic herbs and non-estrogenic herbs are good in relieving menopause symptoms, but recent studies show that non-estrogenic herbs have no side effects because they help the body to produce its own hormones instead of introducing hormones like the phytoestrogenic ones. Learn more about non-estrogenic herbs for menopause.
Phytoestrogen Supplements in the Treatment of Menopause Symptoms