DSM’s Genistein May Reduce Hot Flashes by 51%

DSM Nutritional Products’ (Parsippany, NJ) geniVida genistein may reduce hot flashes and night sweats in postmenopausal women by up to 51%, over three months. Results of a new study were presented at the 9^th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment.

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study included 84 healthy postmenopausal women who were given either geniVida or placebo. (The study was conducted together with KGK Synergize Inc.) According to researchers, the geniVida group saw a 51% reduction in hot flashes and night sweats, compared to 27% seen by the placebo group. The researchers say this is a significant difference.

GeniVida is touted as a non-hormonal method of alleviating hot flashes, as opposed to estrogen hormone replacement therapy, which DSM says was linked to increases in risk of stroke and breast cancer by the Women’s Health Initiative Study.

“This study offers new hope for women who suffer from hot flashes and are seeking a non-hormonal solution but have not had success with black cohosh or other common remedies,” says Lynda Doyle, director of marketing for DSM’s new nutritional ingredients and dietary supplements group.

Also presented at the conference, another recent study on DSM’s geniVida Bone Blend formula (containing geniVida, Ropufa omega-3 DHA and EPA, calcium, and vitamins D3 and K1) indicated that the blend increased bone mineral density in the hips of postmenopausal women. The six-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 58 healthy, early-premenopausal women was conducted with Creighton University (Omaha, NE). It found that the treatment group saw a pause in bone loss in the femoral neck and Ward’s Triangle of the hip, compared to the placebo group’s losses of 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively. Moreover, the treatment group saw increased bone mineral density by 2.3% in the Ward’s Triangle.

The company says that one-third of postmenopausal women in the United States and Europe face the risk of bone loss and increased risk of bone fracture.

“This new study demonstrates that calcium alone is not the answer to optimum bone health,” says Joe LaPlaca, DSM’s senior vice president. “It shows that a multi-nutrient approach is needed to solve a multifactorial health issue.”