Research

Hormonal

Supplementation with S(-)-equol (10-30 mg/day) reduces the severity and frequency of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) in both equol-producing and non-producing women.

If you suffer from hot flashes during menopause, S(-)-equol supplements (10-30mg daily) may help reduce their frequency and severity. This works even if you don't naturally produce equol from eating soy, as the supplement provides the active compound directly. Consult a doctor before starting.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Compared to placebo controls, beneficial effects have been reported for women taking an S(-)-equol supplement (10 to 30 mg daily for 8–12 weeks) with respect to the major menopausal symptoms (hot flushes)... A recent meta-analysis also revealed a significant reduction in hot flash scores (incidence and/or severity) following equol supplementation in both equol-producing and non-producing menopausal women [144].
Baltasar Mayo et al. · Nutrients · 2019

Why this rating

Based on a meta-analysis and several intervention trials, but the paper notes overall results in the field are often conflicting and sample sizes can be small.

Source

Equol: A Bacterial Metabolite from The Daidzein Isoflavone and Its Presumed Beneficial Health Effects

Baltasar Mayo et al. · Nutrients · 2019

DOI 10.3390/nu11092231

narrative_reviewCited 400×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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