Fermented red clover, for menopausal symptoms
As many as 8 out of 10 women experience menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, etc. The primary cause of the symptoms experienced is that the body’s oestrogen production becomes more unstable. The female sex hormone oestrogen is reminiscent of the plant substances known as isoflavones. Plant substances such as those found in red clover.
Red clover isoflavones balance oestrogen levels
Isoflavones have a structure reminiscent of female oestrogen and belong to the group of substances called Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators. This means that they prefer to bind to specific oestrogen receptors in the body – oestrogen receptor beta. Oestrogen receptor beta sits mainly around the bones, intestines, kidneys and stomach, while oestrogen receptor alpha sits in the tissue around the breasts and uterus. Isoflavones bind 1,000 times more strongly to oestrogen receptor beta than to alpha.
Isoflavones are also naturally bound to sugar molecules, but for isoflavones to be absorbed in the small intestine, the sugar molecules have to be broken down, otherwise they are too large to pass through. In other words, it is necessary for the isoflavones to become aglycone. This is a process that occurs by fermentation; the sugar molecules are separated from the isoflavones and the fermented red clover is then ready to be absorbed into the body.
The easily absorbable fermented red clover extract can thus help stabilise the hormone balance when oestrogen production begins to decline during menopause.
Fermented red clover from Herrens Mark – documented effect on menopausal symptoms
A 12-week double-blinded placebo-controlled trial at Aarhus University in which 59 women with menopausal symptoms participated, looked at the effect of fermented red clover extract on those menopausal symptoms. Half of the women were given fermented red clover extract, while the other half were given a placebo. At the same time, the frequency and intensity of their hot flushes were measured using a sweat sensor worn around their wrist. The participants were also instructed to keep a diary of their hot flushes and answer questions regarding their menopausal symptoms.
The results of the studies measured with the sweat sensor showed that the frequency of hot flushes was reduced by 23.05% and the intensity by 38.84%. According to the participants’ own reports, the frequency of their hot flushes was reduced by 30.69%.
Example of a 24-hour data set for skin conductance showing baseline (top) and after 12 weeks of treatment with red clover (bottom). Skin conductance is an indication of the amount of sweat, as moisture increases the skin’s conductance level.
Sources
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Lambert MNT, Thorup AC, Hansen ESS, Jeppesen PB (2017): “Combined Red Clover isoflavones and probiotics potently reduce menopausal vasomotor symptoms”. PLOS ONE 12(6): e0176590. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176590