Odd News

Isoflavones may help women after menopause

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-19 09:59

Estrogen-like compounds derived from plants - phytoestrogens seem to improve mental sharpness and mood for older women, a small study indicates.

Postmenopausal women who were given phytoestrogen tablets containing 60 milligrams of isoflavones for 6 months did better on measures of cognitive performance and mood, according to results reported in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.

Dr. Maria Luisa Casini, from University "La Sapienza" in Rome, and colleagues conducted a study in which they assessed cognition and mood in 78 postmenopausal women who were randomized to the phytoestrogen tablet or placebo for 6 months, then switched to the other agent for another 6 months.

Phytoestrogen use was associated with better scores than placebo on 14 of the 17 tests administered. However, for 6 tests, the results in the two groups were not significantly different.

When asked which treatment they preferred, 49 women favored the phytoestrogen pill, 9 favored placebo, and 18 had no preference, the report indicates. (Two participants dropped out.)

The current findings suggest "a possible role for these compounds (phytoestrogens) in relieving the psychological disturbances often associated with the complex symptomatology of menopause," the authors state.