Other Supplements
Herbs and supplements that have not been shown effective, or have been shown ineffective include:
Magnesium 400-800mg
Small prospective cohort trial of 29 patients showed improvement in hot flash severity in half of patients with no side effects (Park 2011)
Red clover – effectiveness unclear
May have some progestin-like effects, so it may be more helpful in patients with progesterone deficiency
Warning: Can dangerously interact with warfarin and HIV antiviral medication
Vitamin E – effectiveness unclear
Evening primrose oil – effectiveness unclear
Chasteberry – effectiveness unclear
Motherwort – effectiveness unclear
Wild yam – ineffective
It can not be converted to progesterone by humans although it can be converted to progesterone in the lab
Please continue to the last section of this unit for a brief discussion of Body-Based Therapies that have shown some evidence of efficacy in treating menopausal symptoms. You can learn more by linking to other web-based units specifically focused on each treatment.