Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life that comes with its fair share of challenges. From hot flashes to mood swings, it can be a difficult time to navigate. That's where menopause supplements come in. These supplements are designed to alleviate common menopause symptoms and improve the overall quality of life during this transitional period.

Amberen and Relizen are of course two of the most popular on the market right now.

Although there are better options, generally we recommend EstroCare to most people (that’s the supplement, not the cream with the same name, confusing, we know).

That said neither of these two are terrible options compared to a lot of the competition, so let’s break down the differences.

What is Relizen and its Benefits?

Relizen is made from a pollen extract harvested in southern Sweden which is then purified to remove allergens. Unlike some other supplements, Relizen does not contain phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that mimic estrogen in the body.

The exact mechanism of action of Relizen is not fully understood. Which is a polite way of saying there’s only been a couple of studies on it.

Some studies suggest that it may affect serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood, sleep etc.

Other research suggests that Relizen has some antioxidant properties, which can help reduce hot flashes, but there’s much more robustly studied ingredients for all of these things. And, these are small scale trials funded by the company itself and there’s not a whole lot of evidence for the ingredients themselves.

To take Relizen, it is recommended to consume two tablets daily for at least three months. However, individual responses may vary, and it may take longer for some women to experience the full benefits.

What are the benefits?

Hormone-Free and Soy-Free: Relizen doesn't contain any phytoestrogens and doesn't appear to have any estrogenic effects. This makes it a suitable option for women who can't or prefer not to take hormones, whether synthetic or natural.

May Improve Sleep, Hot Flashes, and Other Symptoms: Research suggests that pollen extract, by inhibiting serotonin reuptake, may help support pathways in the body related to sleep, mood, and temperature regulation. Additionally, the antioxidant content of pollen extract may contribute to its beneficial properties. Clinical trials conducted with Relizen have shown improvements in the frequency and severity of hot flashes, irritability, and fatigue in peri- and postmenopausal women.

What is Amberen and its Benefits?

Amberen on the other hand sticks to the classic ingredients, and of course as we said in the intro, other supplements do this better. It contains a blend of ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

Unlike Relizen, some Amberen products do contain soy isoflavones, which are a type of phytoestrogen, and whilst soy may not be the go to for some people, it does have a lot more backing..

Amberen claims to support the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating hormonal balance in the body. And the evidence for this is reasonable, although they do overhype it a little.

By targeting the hypothalamus, Amberen aims to alleviate multiple menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, low energy, sleep disturbances, and weight gain. The brand offers different formulations for perimenopause and menopause, recognizing the hormonal and symptomatic differences between these two phases:

What are the benefits?

May Relieve Multiple Symptoms: Amberen has a few ingredients that have been shown to help with a variety of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, low energy, sleep disturbances, weight gain, and irritability. By tackling multiple symptoms simultaneously, it can significantly improve quality of life during menopause.

Formulas for Perimenopause and Menopause: Amberen offers different formulations for perimenopause and menopause. These two phases do have some difference in what are the best ingredients, although if you put both of their products together you still get everything that works in EstroCare (we know we’re harping on about it a little bit, but, this is of course a negative.

Herb-Free Formula: We'd generally consider this a negative, but Amberen consider it a selling pount. Amberen is free of herbs traditionally associated with hormone balance, such as black cohosh. If you prefer to avoid these plants, Amberen is a brand worth considering. However, it's important to note that all Amberen products are not soy-free, as the perimenopause supplement contains soy isoflavones.

Conclusion, Is Amberen or Relizen better?

Ultimately we generally edge towards Amberen, the pollen extracts simply don’t have as much medical backing as the ingredients in Amberen. But, we still wouldn’t recommend it when there’s better options.

If they do turn out to be particularly good in future tests we’d then change the verdict.

The problem for Amberen is that it is the same price as the EstroCare (we'll link the review here) that we mentioned in the intro, with less ingredients in smaller dosages and no unique ingredient when we compare the two. 

So, if you want to try Amberen, we’d say get EstroCare instead, but if your sensitive to soy or like the sound of pollen Relizen could be an option. There just currently isn’t enough evidence to recommend it.