Natural menopause support

Drug Store News, Sept 23, 2002 by Michael Johnsen

With recent news questioning the safety of prescription hormone therapy in treating symptoms of menopause, natural alternatives targeting menopausal health are seeing a lift in sales.

The National Institutes of Health cut short its three-year study of hormone replacement therapies in July, citing an increased risk for stroke, heart attack and breast cancer among menopausal women taking HRTs. And last month, NIH and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that a major reassessment of estrogen therapy soon would be under way.

As for natural alternatives, there are several pockets of menopausal opportunity in the natural health aisle. For instance, while overall sales of soy supplements in food, drug and mass (excluding Wal-Mart) fell 12.3 percent for the 12 weeks ended July 21, sales of Amerifit's Estroven grew 203.5 percent to reach $888,191 across all, channels, according to Information Resources Inc. Other significant gainers included Nature's Resource black cohosh, up 54.6 percent to $212,963 during that period. By contrast, total sales for black cohosh supplements fell 10.1 percent in food, drug and mass in that time.

Studies published in The Female Patient and Maturitas: The European Menopause Journal, found that red clover isoflavones helped reduce hot flash symptoms in nearly 50 percent of menopausal women. Both studies used Novogen's Promensil supplement for its red clover source, which grew 43.4 percent on a $48,318 base in all channels.

Other branded supplements addressing menopausal health include Sayge Bioscience's Balance Progesterone cream and Transitions for Health's Emerita line of women's health products.