Red clover isoflavones and menopausal health.

Menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats can be very disrupting. While hormone replacement therapy is an effective therapy, concerns about side effects and breast cancer risk have stimulated interest into alternative therapies such as phytoestrogens. These are oestrogen-like compounds made by plants. Two major sources of phytoestrogens are soy and red clover. Data on randomised controlled trials of red clover for the control of menopausal symptoms are presented. The conflicting data are encouraging and suggest that phytoestrogens are a treatment modality that needs pursuing.