Red Clover For Hot Flashes - Buy supplement

Some, but not all, studies show red clover reduces the severity of hot flashes.

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Menopause is associated with mid-life, a time when many women begin to experience the signs and symptoms of aging, such as increases in blood pressure, changes in lipid profiles, loss of bone mass density, and diminished memory and cognition. Many women are looking for alternatives to estrogen replacement. Is red clover a good option?

 

 

Red Clover and Hot Flashes
To investigate the effectiveness and safety of a red clover isoflavone dietary supplement Promensil versus placebo on the change in hot flush frequency in postmenopausal women, a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial was done at Vrije University Medical Center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Women with more than 12 months without periods and experiencing more than five flushes per day were enrolled. All received placebo tablets for 4 weeks and were subsequently randomized to either placebo or 80 mg isoflavones from red clover for a further 12 weeks. Improvement was measured by the decrease in number of hot flushes per day. During the first 4 weeks of placebo the frequency of hot flushes decreased by 16%. During the subsequent double blind phase, a further, statistically significant decrease of 44% was seen in the red clover isoflavone group, whereas no further reduction occurred within the placebo group.
    Comment: In this study, treatment with 80 mg red clover isoflavones per day resulted in a significant reduction in hot flushes from baseline. Since long-term hormone replacement with Premarin and synthetic progestins now appears to increase the risk for cancer, heart disease and blood clots, more women are searching for herbal alternatives to treating menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms. The research with red clover is still early and not all studies have shown that it reduces hot flashes in any significant way, but it does seem to have a mild effect.

Trifolium pratense isoflavones in the treatment of menopausal hot flushes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Phytomedicine. 2007 Feb;14(2-3):153-9. Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NT, UK.
To critically assess the evidence of supplements containing red clover isoflavones in the reduction of hot flush frequency in menopausal women. Systematic literature searches were performed in (Medline (1951 - April 2006), Embase (1974 - April 2006), CINAHL (1982 - April 2006), Amed (1985 - April 2006) and The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2006). There is evidence of a marginally significant effect of red clover isoflavones for treating hot flushes in menopausal women. Whether the size of this effect can be considered clinically relevant is unclear. Whereas there is no apparent evidence of adverse events during short-term use, there are no available data on the safety of long-term red clover administration.

Isoflavones from red clover Promensil significantly reduce menopausal hot flush symptoms compared with placebo.
Maturitas. 2002 Jul 25;42(3):187-93. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
To investigate the effectiveness and safety of a red clover isoflavone dietary supplement (Promensil, Novogen Ltd., Australia) versus placebo on the change in hot flush frequency in women post menopause. In this randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial 30 women with more than 12 months amenorrhoea and experiencing more than five flushes per day were enrolled. All received single blind placebo tablets for 4 weeks and were subsequently randomized to either placebo or 80 mg isoflavones for a further 12 weeks. Efficacy was measured by the decrease in number of hot flushes per day and changes in Greene Climacteric Scale Score. During the first 4 weeks of placebo the frequency of hot flushes decreased by 16%. During the subsequent double blind phase, a further, statistically significant decrease of 44% was seen in isoflavones group (P<0.01), whereas no further reduction occurred within the placebo group. The Greene score decreased in the active group by 13% and remained unchanged in the placebo group. In this study, treatment with 80 mg isoflavones (Promensil) per day resulted in a significant reduction in hot flushes from baseline. At the end of the study there was a significant decrease in hot flushes of 44% between the active and placebo group, demonstrating the effectiveness of Promensil in the management of hot flushes.

Additional benefits of Red Clover herb
Red clover may also improve bone density and reduce blood pressure. One study shows it has no significant effect on cholesterol or insulin resistance. Red clover has been shown in lab studies to reduce the risk for prostate cancer.

Summary of Red Clover properties
It is difficult to know for sure what role red clover plays in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. It appears that red clover has a weak effect and certainly not as noticeable as estrogen therapy. But, red clover does not have the major safety concerns of estrogen.

 Red Clover For Hot Flashes Research study
Phytoestrogen supplements for the treatment of hot flashes: the Isoflavone Clover Extract (ICE) Study: a randomized controlled trial.
JAMA. 2003 Jul 9;290(2):207-14. ACP J Club. 2004 Mar-Apr;140(2):47. J Fam Pract. 2003 Nov;52(11):846-7.Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Dietary supplements containing isoflavones are widely used as alternatives to hormonal therapies for hot flashes, but there is a paucity of data supporting their efficacy. To compare the efficacy and safety of 2 dietary supplements derived from red clover with placebo in symptomatic menopausal women with hot flashes. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of menopausal women, aged 45 to 60 years, who were experiencing at least 35 hot flashes per week. The study included women who were recently postmenopausal (mean [SD], 3.3 [4.5] years since menopause) experiencing 8.1 hot flashes per day. Women were excluded if they were vegetarians, consumed soy products more than once per week, or took medications affecting isoflavone absorption. After a 2-week placebo run-in, 252 participants were randomly assigned to Promensil (82 mg of total isoflavones per day), Rimostil (57 mg of total isoflavones per day), or an identical placebo, and followed-up for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in frequency of hot flashes measured by participant daily diaries. Secondary outcome measures included changes in quality of life and adverse events. Of 252 participants, 246 (98%) completed the 12-week protocol. The reductions in mean daily hot flash count at 12 weeks were similar for the Promensil (5.1), Rimostil (5.4), and placebo (5.0) groups. In comparison with the placebo group, participants in the Promensil group, but not in the Rimostil group reduced hot flashes more rapidly. Quality-of-life improvements and adverse events were comparable in the 3 groups.  Although the study provides some evidence for a biological effect of Promensil, neither supplement had a clinically important effect on hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause.

Red clover and colon cancer in women
No effect of red clover-derived isoflavone intervention on the insulin-like growth factor system in women at increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Oct; Division of Experimental Therapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Increased insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II concentrations are related to increased colorectal cancer risk. Isoflavones have been associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk, and may affect the IGF system because of their weak estrogenic activity. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of isolated isoflavones on serum concentrations of IGF system components. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, crossover trial in four hospitals in the Netherlands to investigate the effect of an 8-week supplementation with red clover-derived isoflavones (84 mg/d) on serum IGF-I concentrations. Our results suggest that isoflavones do not significantly affect circulating levels of IGF system components. Increased levels of IGF-I, as observed in most of these trials, are likely due to simultaneous protein supplementation.

Red clover herb questions and emails
Q. I am now taking Nature's Way red clover and have been doing so for 5 days now. I recently "discovered" that I have not had any period at all in 4 or 5 months (I am 52), and have been having terrible sweats with drinking any hot beverages, and sometimes, just randomly. The 4 red clover capsules a day has eliminated them at this time. I have read your research section on red clover and menopause. I want to send you my experience with spay incontinence and my malamute / German Shepherd Dog. She is now almost 11. The red clover  works to control her spay incontinence completely. She is getting 6 capsules, opened and dumped on her food daily.

Q. Would alpha lipoic acid supplement interfere with red clover supplement use?
   A. It's difficult to say since the dosage makes a significant difference. Small amounts of each should not interfere with each other's functions.

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