Efficacy of plant‐derived dietary supplements in improving overall menopausal symptoms in women: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis

This updated systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to confirm the effectiveness of plant‐based supplements in improving overall menopausal symptoms and vasomotor symptoms. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by searching the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases up to June 2022. Randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trials that evaluated the effects of dietary supplements on menopausal symptoms were included. Outcome measures included daily hot flash frequency, Kupperman's index, Menopause Rating Scale, and Greene Climacteric Scale. Pooled data were analyzed using a fixed‐effects model and expressed as a weighted mean difference with a 95% confidence interval for continuous outcomes. For qualitative assessment, 67 studies were selected. For quantitative assessment, 54 reports were obtained from 61 studies. The study participants were peri‐ or postmenopausal women aged 38–85, most of whom experienced hot flashes as a menopausal symptom. The investigational products included 28 soy‐derived, 6 red clover‐derived, and 28 other plant‐derived supplements. Qualitative assessment revealed that approximately 76% of the studies were generally of fair or good quality, whereas 24% were of low quality. Meta‐analysis results indicated significant improvements in all questionnaire scores, including hot flash frequency, in the dietary supplement group compared with the placebo group. Comprehensive evaluation using different questionnaire tools showed that the various plant‐derived dietary supplements can significantly alleviate menopausal symptoms. However, further rigorous studies are needed to determine the association of plant‐derived dietary supplements with menopausal health because of the general suboptimal quality and heterogeneous nature of current evidence.