July 9, 2003 – Postmenopausal women who turn to shamrock supplements for hot flashes are wasting their money, a major study on the issue reveals.
More and more postmenopausal women are looking for an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, since it has been linked to increased risks of breast cancer or cardiovascular disease. Red clover supplements are high in isoflavones, a substance that mimics the effect of estrogen in the body and therefore may alleviate some of the more unpleasant symptoms of menopause.
But the 12-week study of some 250 postmenopausal women leads US researchers to conclude that red clover supplements are no more effective than a placebo.1. The participants were divided into three groups, the first two taking supplements (branded Promensil and Rimostil) and the third a placebo. The reduction in hot flashes was 41% for the Promensil group, 36% for the control group and 34% for the Rimostil group, which means that the three groups obtained comparable relief from their pain. problem.
In comparison, hormone replacement therapy normally reduces hot flashes by 90%.
The effect of Promensil remains intriguing, however, since the reduction in symptoms attributed to it occurred more quickly than with Rimostil or the placebo, say the researchers, who however believe that the “placebo effect” is. the main responsible for the relief obtained.
This conclusion is contested by the firm Novogen, which funded the study and which manufactures Promensil and Rimostil. A company spokesperson says previous studies have shown that the placebo effect alone eases symptoms by at most 20%.
In addition, a British study2 carried out in 2001 indicated that red clover could fight bad cholesterol and increase bone mass. However, this study did not have a control group.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to AP, Reuters and WebMD; July 8, 2003.
1. Link to the study, on the JAMA website: jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/290/2/207.
2. Clifton-Bligh PB, Baber RJ, Fulcher GR, Nery ML, Moreton T. The effect of isoflavones extracted from red clover (Rimostil) on lipid and bone metabolism.Menopause 2001 Jul-Aug; 8 (4): 259-65.
