ConsumerLab.com tests menopause supplements — Alternatives to hormonal therapy — Report available for 38 products including soy and red clover isoflavones, black cohosh, and progesterone creams

WHITE PLAINS, NY — July 18, 2005 — ConsumerLab.com has released a new report on the quality of supplements used to treat symptoms of menopause, notably hot flashes. Tested were supplements containing soy isoflavones, red clover isoflavones and/or black cohosh as well as creams containing progesterone. Recent evidence of potential risks with traditional hormone therapy in healthy women has increased public interest in these alternative products.

Summary of Findings:

• Isoflavones — Two soy isoflavone supplements failed testing because they contained, respectively, 50% and 59% of their listed total isoflavones and were low in specific isoflavones (daidzin/daidzein and glycitin/glycitein). A soy/red clover isoflavone product also failed because it would not break apart properly, suggesting that some of its ingredients might pass through the body unused. The other products passed the testing — they contained their key ingredients and broke apart properly for absorption.
• Black cohosh — All of the black cohosh supplements passed testing, providing at least 1 mg of triterpene compounds per daily serving as recommended by the German Commission E Expanded Monographs.
• Progesterone creams: All of these creams contained their claimed amounts of progesterone, but these amounts ranged across products from about 16 mg to 25 mg per gram of cream.

The new report is available at www.consumerlab.com/results/phytoestrogens2.asp. The report provides results and comparisons for 38 products — twenty selected by ConsumerLab.com and eighteen that passed ConsumerLab.com's Voluntary Certification Program.

Brands included in the report are Emerita, Gaia, Jarrow Formulas, KAL, Kyolic, Life-Extension, life-flo, Nature's Actives, Nature's Bounty, Nature's Resource, Novogen, Nutrilite, Olympian Labs, Oona, Puritan's Pride, Rainbow Light, Schiff, Spring Valley, Solaray, Sundown, Swanson, TruNature (Costco), Vitamin Power, Vitamin World, Vitanica, Whole Foods, Webber Naturals, Wild Oats, and Woman's Wellbeing (Consumers Choice Systems). The report also compares the ingredients in all 38 products and provides extensive information about the effectiveness, use, and potential side effects of type of supplement.

Reviews of other popular types of supplements are also available at www.consumerlab.com. New Reviews to be released in coming weeks include potassium, calcium and vitamin D, chromium, supplements for memory enhancement (ginkgo biloba, huperzine A, and phosphatidylserine) weight loss supplements (including CLA and bitter orange), and saw palmetto. The paperback ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements: What's Really in the Bottle? is available in bookstores, online, or through 800-431-1579.

ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com (www.pharmacychecker.com), an evaluator of online pharmacies. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. For group subscriptions or product testing contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.



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