Effect of Red Clover Isoflavones over Skin, Appendages, and Mucosal Status in Postmenopausal Austrian Women
Reported, January 11, 2012
As a result of increased life expectancy, nowadays, women spend more than one third of their lives in a state of estrogen deprivation which in turn leads to a number of significant long-term changes . Indeed, two out of three women in the menopausal transition present different complaints . Increased osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk, vasomotor episodes, and sleep disturbances have been the main research topics and focus of treatment. Others aspects such as urinary complaints, loss of libido, and changes in hair, nail, skin, or mucosal status have often been disregarded (neglected) by researchers and health care providers but not by women themselves.
Hormone therapy (HT), using different estrogenic compounds, has shown its effectiveness over a number of these complaints; nevertheless, current HT use has become controversial due to suspected increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease . Furthermore, 10% of western women display conditions that contraindicate HT use: history of estrogen-dependent malignancy, liver disease, thromboembolic disorders, and severe migraine . Under this scenario, the use of alternatives to HT such as botanical and dietary supplements (i.e., phytoestrogens) has increased for the management of menopausal complaints . Beside coumestrols and flavonoids, isoflavonoids are the main active substances of phytoestrogens . Epidemiological and clinical research has shown the positive effects of soy isoflavone consumption over bone and the risk of developing several female cancers . Reports indicate that isoflavones exhibit estrogenic activity through the activation of estrogen receptors (ERs) and also antiestrogenic activity by competitive binding to the ER and estradiol (E2) inhibition. Moreover, they have a significantly higher affinity for the ER-beta than ER-alpha .
Trifolium pratense or red clover (RC) is a perennial herb growing in all temperate and subtropical areas around the world. In several cultures, it is used as traditional medicine . Besides its daidzein and genistein content, unlike soy, RC displays a high content of methylized precursors: biochanin A and formononetin. After several years of clinical research with RC, there is evidence supporting their positive effects in climacteric women in terms of vasomotor symptoms , bone mineral density , mood , vaginal and sexual health , and serum lipids . Despite this, RC data on skin, appendages, including mucosal sites, are scarce or lacking. Hence, the aim of the present paper was to evaluate in postmenopausal women the effect of red clover extract (RCE) isoflavones over subjective status of skin, appendages, and several mucosal sites. In addition, libido, tiredness, and urinary, sleep, and mood complaints were also evaluated.
During the study period, a total of 113 women consented to participate. Fifty-three were randomized to group A and sixty to group B. Four women started HT and were excluded. Thus, data of 109 women who completed treatment (Group A: 50 and Group B: 59) was used for analysis. No significant differences were observed between study groups regarding basal characteristics . Hysterectomy was in all cases due to a benign cause (i.e., uterine fibroids), and former HT users had stopped intake at least 6 months prior to recruitment with a maximum previous intake of 7.5 years. No side effects were encountered after treatment with the active compound or the placebo group.
Women in both studied groups reported a higher VAS subjective percent improvement of scalp hair and skin status, libido, mood, sleep, and tiredness after RCE intervention as compared to placebo. In general, reported improvement over urinary complaints, nail, body hair, and mucosa (oral, nasal, and ocular) status did not differ between treatment phases (intra- and intergroup). Women in both groups reported higher subjective improvement of digestive complaints after placebo. Overall satisfaction with treatment was reported higher after RCE intervention in both assigned groups as compared to placebo.
RCE supplementation exerted a subject improvement of scalp hair and skin status as well as libido, mood, sleep, and tiredness in postmenopausal women.
Credits:Markus Lipovac,Peter Chedraui,Christine Gruenhut, Anca Gocan, Christine Kurz,Benedikt Neuber and Martin Imhof.
More Information at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206499/?tool=pubmed