The world of hot flash supplements is full of promises. Let's look at what recent studies say about the most researched options, with real names rather than generic ones.
Soy isoflavones: conflicting evidence
They're the most studied, but the results don't agree. A 2012 meta-analysis of 17 trials found that soy isoflavones reduced hot flash frequency by 20.6% and severity by 26.2% compared with placebo. However, a more recent meta-analysis, from 2025 and including 533 perimenopausal women, found a modest improvement in menopausal symptoms overall (especially mood, headaches and palpitations), but no significant effect on hot flashes. The authors themselves urge caution because the studies were small.
In short: they may help somewhat, but their specific effect on hot flashes is unclear.
Red clover: a modest but consistent effect
A meta-analysis published in 2026, which pools nine randomised trials and rates the quality of the evidence with the GRADE system, concludes that red clover isoflavones (Trifolium pratense) reduce hot flash frequency compared with placebo, with a small-to-moderate effect. Results were consistent at doses of 37 to 160 mg/day, over periods of 12 weeks to 12 months. Like soy, red clover acts as a phytoestrogen.
About menoelle®
Our partner menoelle® uses EstroG-100®, a herbal extract of Cynanchum wilfordii, Phlomis umbrosa and Angelica gigas. Unlike isoflavones, laboratory and animal studies indicate that it has no oestrogenic activity and does not bind to oestrogen receptors.
In two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, small but well designed (64 and 70 women analysed, over 12 weeks), EstroG-100® significantly improved hot flashes. In the first of them, insomnia, fatigue and joint pain also improved, with good tolerability and no serious side effects. In addition, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed it in 2017 and considered it safe at a dose of 514 mg/day. It's an option worth considering, especially for women who prefer to avoid products with a phytoestrogenic effect.
Transparency: Vive Tu Balance has a commercial partnership with menoelle®. That's why we're also telling you the limits of the evidence: the trials on EstroG-100® are few and small.
What the evidence says
- Herbal remedies take weeks to work. Most trials last around 12 weeks, so it's best not to judge them before then.
- No natural extract, including those mentioned here, replaces hormone therapy when hot flashes are severe. In fact, The Menopause Society's 2023 guidance does not recommend herbal supplements or soy products for treating hot flashes, due to a lack of solid evidence.
- They should always be taken at the doses studied and under professional guidance, especially if you have a history of hormone-dependent cancer.
A note
This content is for informational purposes, includes transparency about our commercial partnership with menoelle® and does not replace a medical consultation.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2017). Statement on the safety of EstroG-100™ as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. EFSA Journal, 15(5), e04778.
- Jiang W, Wu K (2026). The effectiveness of red clover on hot-flash in menopausal women: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 324, 115226.
- Luan H, Liu Q, Guo Y, et al. (2025). Effects of soy isoflavones on menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ, 13, e19715.
- Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, Kurzer MS, Messina M (2012). Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause, 19(7), 776-790.
- Chang A, Kwak BY, Yi K, Kim JS (2012). The effect of herbal extract (EstroG-100) on pre-, peri- and post-menopausal women: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Phytotherapy Research, 26(4), 510-516.
- Farzaneh F, Fallah G, Khalili-Chelik A, et al. (2024). Estro G-100 herbal extract and hot flashes in postmenopausal women: A randomized double-blinded controlled trial. Explore, 20(3), 334-339.
- Kim SJ, Jin SW, Lee GH, Kim YA, Jeong HG (2017). Evaluation of Estrogenic Activity of Extract from the Herbal Mixture Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turczaninow, and Angelica gigas Nakai. Toxicological Research, 33(1), 71-77.
- The North American Menopause Society (2023). The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause, 30(6), 573-590.