Plant-derived supplements for menopausal symptoms Original paper

In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women, supplementation with isoflavones, soy, and other herbal products improved hot flash frequency and menopausal symptoms overall.

The effect of plant-derived supplements on menopausal symptoms, as evaluated by the Kupperman’s Index (KI), the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), and the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS).

The primary outcome was the daily frequency of hot flashes.

A total of 4,813 perimenopausal or postmenopausal women (ages 38–85).

In this meta-analysis of 54 randomized controlled trials, 28 trials examined soy-derived supplements, 6 trials investigated red clover-derived supplements, 3 trials studied black cohosh-derived supplements, and 25 trials reported on other plant-derived supplements.

Twenty trials were conducted in Europe, 18 in the Middle East, 11 in North America, 10 in Asia-Pacific, and 8 in South America.

Subgroup analyses were conducted based on menopausal status (perimenopausal+postmenopausal participants, or postmenopausal participants) and the type of supplement (isoflavones, soy, red clover, or other herbal product).

The frequency of hot flashes was lower in the supplement group than in the placebo group (24 studies).

Menopausal symptoms were also significantly improved with supplementation, compared to placebo, as indicated by improvements in KI, MRS, and GCS scores

The following results from the subgroup analyses were of note:

• Improvements were more consistent in postmenopausal participants versus perimenopausal+postmenopausal participants.
• Isoflavones, soy, and other herbal products (but not red clover) improved the frequency of hot flashes.

Fifteen, 36, and 16 trials were rated as good, fair and poor quality, respectively, due to their risk of bias.