Femestra Side Effects

Menopause is a time of transition in an older woman's life, when her menstrual flow begins to slow down and eventually stop. Often menopause can be a difficult time, with many unpleasant symptoms such as hot flashes. Femestra is a natural supplement which might relieve certain menopause symptoms, especially vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats.

Symptoms of Menopause

• Menopause occurs when a woman stops menstruating. It is a natural event in a woman's life, which happens around the age of 50. Menopause can cause a variety of side effects, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, loss of libido, insomnia, night sweats and other symptoms. These symptoms can appear years before a woman's final menstrual period.

Femestra Ingredients

• Women in Japan have less severe menopausal symptoms than women in the West, and it may be because they eat more phytoestrogen, plant estrogen from foods such as soybeans. Femestra is a natural supplement that includes rice bran oil and gamma oryzanol, a supplement that contains phytoestrogens. Eating a diet high in soy, flax seeds and other foods containing phytoestrogens may also help combat menopausal symptoms.

Femestra Side Effects

• In a study from Obstetrics and Gynecology that looked at a dietary soy supplement in 104 post-menopausal women, the most prevalent side effects of the soy supplement, which is similar to Femestra, were gastrointestinal side effects such as stomachaches, diarrhea, nausea and constipation. A study of 27 post-menopausal women published in Reproductive Sciences found that insomnia was increased among the group of women taking phytoestrogens, the main ingredient in Femestra.

Effectiveness of Femestra

• The study of 27 women in Reproductive Sciences found that phytoestrogens improved several postmenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. However, a study of soy supplements in 94 postmenopausal women done by D. Kotsopoulos at Monash University in Australia showed there was no improvement in menopausal symptoms after three months of taking soy supplements. So the research shows that the phytoestrogens in Fememstra may help with some postmenopausal symptoms, but they are not always effective.

Health Benefits of Phytoestrogens

• A study in Obstetrics and Gynecology on the effects of phytoestrogens found that they can provide some health benefits. This study looked at several other studies examining soy supplements, phytoestrogen supplements and high phytoestrogen diets. The study found that phytoestrogens may protect against cancer and heart disease.