Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life that brings about various physical and emotional changes. Symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, joint pains, and mood swings can significantly impact a woman's quality of life during this transition. While conventional treatments like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and antidepressants come with potential risks, many women turn to herbal supplements as an alternative. Two of the most popular options on the market right now are Remifemin and Estroven.
Unfortunately neither of these are actually great, both rely on black cohosh, which they both under dose (that is to say, put nowhere near the clinically tested dosages in). But Estroven does edge out as the winner between the two as it has a couple of half decent ingredients in there.
But, if we compare either of these to the menopause supplement we rated number 1, EstroCare, which contains all the effective ingredients from both, in the correct dosages, along with about a dozen more, most of which are more effective, we can’t say we’d actually recommend either Estroven or Remifemin.
Understanding Remifemin and Estroven
Remifemin
Remifemin is a herbal supplement that aims to alleviate menopause symptoms, particularly hot flushes and night sweats. Its primary ingredient is black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), a root native to North America. Black cohosh has a long history of use in traditional medicine, not only for menstrual irregularities but also for pain, fever, and cough. The problem is that their extract is only equivalent to 20mg of Black Cohosh. And the actual effective range is 100mg and up, which is 5 times the amount in Remifemin.
Remifemin is available in various formulations and a couple are better than the standard version. Although none are great.
Estroven
Estroven is another over-the-counter supplement designed to relieve menopause symptoms. Its active ingredients include black cohosh, soy isoflavones, and rhapontic rhubarb extract. Black cohosh, as mentioned earlier, has been traditionally used for female reproductive problems. But, much like Remifemin, there simply isn’t enough of it for it to be effective, although it is closer to the effective range. The same is true for the soy isoflavones, which is an effective ingredient for menopause symptoms in the right dosage. The rhubarb extract is fine, meaning that Estroven comes out on top for having one of it’s ingredients be potentially effective.
Evaluating Effectiveness: What Does the Research Say?
When it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of Remifemin and Estroven, it's essential to consider the available scientific research. However, it's important to note that the evidence is inconclusive and often subject to the placebo effect.
Remifemin: Mixed Results and Inconclusive Findings
A Cochrane review conducted in 2012 analyzed the effectiveness of black cohosh, the main ingredient in Remifemin, in relieving menopausal symptoms. The review found no significant difference in the number of hot flushes between women who received black cohosh at a dose below 100mg and those who received a placebo.
However, the review also highlighted design flaws in many of the trials evaluated, variations in herbal extract types and dosages, and inconsistencies in symptom reporting. The sub group of trials that dosed Cohosh over 100mg did show an improvement beyond that of a placebo.
Estroven: Limited Research and Mixed Reports
Of course we’ve already covered black cohosh, but soy isoflavones have also shown promise in reducing various menopause symptoms. But, the doses are higher, although it seemed to be particularly effective for physical and psychological symptoms. And the rhubarb extract generally seems to be quite good for hot flashes. But again all these ingredients are in their correct dosages in other supplements.
Safety Considerations: Understanding the Risks
Generally both Estroven and Remifemin are relatively safe, of course if you have a reaction to soy, then you’ll want to avoid Estroven.
Estroven vs Remifemin Customer Reviews: What Are People Saying?
To be honest, both of these are a bit of a mixed bag, Amazon is generally a bit spammed with a lot of the reviews clearly talking about other products, or people complaining that the product doesn’t work, but leaving 5* reviews.
Remifemin: Mixed Reviews and Varied Experiences
Remifemin has garnered mixed reviews from customers. Some users report positive experiences, particularly in reducing hot flushes and improving mood. However, negative reviews mention adverse side effects or no noticeable benefits from the product. It's important to note that individual experiences may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Estroven: Limited Customer Feedback
Estroven does not have a dedicated Trustpilot (well it has one review, clearly written by a staff member) or Better Business Bureau page for customer reviews. However, its Amazon customer rating is generally positive, with users reporting a reduction in menopause symptoms. Although there’s a lot of suspect 5* reviews as we mentioned above.
Conclusion Estroven vs Remifemin
To wrap up, we’d say neither Remifemin or Estroven are great menopause supplements. If you want something that contains Black Cohosh, Soy Isoflavones and Rhubarb Extract, we’d say get EstroCare instead, it’s got all these ingredients in the right doses, as well as the probiotics that decline during menopause leading to vaginal problems, all the vitamins and minerals you’re likely to be short on at this time of life and even DHEA and a host of other herbal extracts. Add that to the fact you’re only paying about $10 more for 4 times the product there’s no way we can recommend Estroven or Remifemin.