Profemin

What Is Profemin?

Profemin is a dietary supplement intended to offer relief for your menopausal symptoms with 3 natural ingredients.

Menopause is a process that is associated with the end of menstrual periods and the depletion of ovarian follicles. Symptoms are wide-ranging and may negatively affect your quality of life.

While most are familiar with “hot flashes”, other common menopausal symptoms can include restless sleep, night sweats, mood disturbances, changes in urinary frequency, pain during sex, and even a rapid heart rate.

As these symptoms are thought to be related to the rapid decline of estrogen, medical management often includes hormone replacement.

According to Profemin, you can find relief without the use of hormones. But is their blend of ingredients actually proven to alleviate your menopausal symptoms?

In this article, we’ll review the science behind each ingredient, if any, to help you make a more informed decision about using Profemin to manage your symptoms.

Profemin’s Ingredients: Does Science Back Them?

According to the product page, simply taking 1 Profemin capsule twice daily will relieve many of the common symptoms that can be associated with menopause.

Each capsule contains a 257mg blend of the following:

Angelica gigas Nakai extract

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is an herb cultivated mainly in Korea and China that has been a common ingredient in folk medicine for centuries. AGN is often included in dietary supplements as it is proposed to improve blood flow, pain, cognitive function, and much more.

According to Profemin, AGN is included in their blend to support gynecological health. The evidence for this in human subjects is lacking, however.

Rats that consumed 500 mg/kg body weight of AGN over 8-weeks improved estrogen and bone density measures when compared to placebo.

Interestingly, researchers also found that rats treated with ultrafine AGN had better effects than those who received coarsely ground AGN. Thus, the processing of the AGN offered in Profemin may affect its ability to deliver results.

A laboratory study tested the active compounds found in AGN and concluded that these ingredients would be challenging to formulate into an oral supplement. Another laboratory study found that these same compounds inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells by targeting estrogen receptors.

While there is some evidence that AGN and its active compounds do have estrogen-related actions, most of the support is in animal and laboratory studies. Much more work is needed to determine the long-term effects regarding use in women’s sexual health.

Cynanchum wilfordii extract

Cynanchum includes about 300 species that are found all over the world, including both tropic and subtropic regions of Africa, Europe, and Asia. Like AGN, it has been included in various natural medicine formulations for centuries.

Cynanchum wilfordii’s (CW) support for its proposed ability to manage menopausal symptoms is mainly in animal and laboratory models.

Menopausal rats treated with 200mg/kg bodyweight of CW over 7-days had reduced hot flash symptoms, though treatment did not boost estrogen levels.

Additional support for the sole use of CW to improve symptoms related to menopause is lacking. Again, more studies are needed with human subjects to determine the lasting effects.

Phlomis Umbrosa extract

Another common folk medicine ingredient, Phlomis Umbrosa (PU), may offer anti-inflammatory and pain relief capabilities.

However, studies investigating the sole use of PU in managing symptoms related to menopause are lacking.

Studies Examining the Combination of Profemin’s 3 Ingredients

While Profemin’s herbal ingredients have not been extensively studied individually regarding their abilities to manage menopausal symptoms, their combined actions have been investigated in perimenopausal women.

According to Profemin’s website, their supplement was studied on a clinical trial. Profemin claims that nearly 97% of the women randomized to treatment experienced an improvement in 4 or more menopausal symptoms.

This study has yet to be published in a medical journal, however. Results must be interpreted with caution as the study has not undergone a rigorous peer-review process to determine if the scientific methods were sound.

Two other studies investigating these ingredients do offer published results, however.

In a 2005 study, 48 perimenopausal women were randomized to herbal treatment or placebo. The herbal treatment was a 315mg blend of AGN, CW, PU, and about 10 other extracts taken twice daily.

At 3-months of herbal treatment, women experienced improvements in hot flashes and joint pain. At 1-year, bone density was improved when compared to placebo.

More recently, 64 pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women were randomized to treatment with an herbal blend or placebo. The herbal blend was a 514mg blend of AGN, CW, and PU.

Women treated with the herbal supplement over 3-months experienced improvements in hot flashes, poor sleep, nervousness, mood, vertigo, fatigue, vaginal dryness, and joint pain when compared to placebo

The Takeaway Message:

The evidence supporting the sole use of the Profemin ingredients in treating menopausal symptoms is lacking. The fact that similar blends were tested in human trials adds merit to Profemin’s claims, however.

So far, it seems as though short-term relief of menopausal symptoms is possible at doses of AGN, CW, and PU comparable to what is offered in Profemin. Safety has also been demonstrated in the long-term, though only improvements in bone density were noted at 1-year.

Are There Any Profemin Side Effects?

The ability of Profemin’s ingredients to individually address menopausal symptoms was studied mainly in laboratory and animal studies. While these types of investigations can highlight a potential role in treatment, they do not guarantee safety and efficacy in humans.

The combination of the 3 ingredients was studied in 2 published clinical trials at dosing comparable to what is available in Profemin, however. Both studies did not report any serious adverse effects, even with use of the herbal blend up to 1-year.

As most herbal blends have a favorable safety profile, the presence of published research further strengthens the claim that Profemin is safe. Nonetheless, there is currently no data for the use of Profemin beyond a 1-year duration.

While this blend of ingredients has not been demonstrated to alter hormone levels in human trials, it is still best to speak with your doctor before use.

Even if you can avoid medical management of your menopausal symptoms, your doctor can answer any questions regarding dietary supplements and ensure they are safe for you to use.

The Cost and Where to Buy It

Profemin is available directly from their website. They offer several purchasing options.

For $9.95, you can “try it before you buy it.” They’ll ship a 2-month supply, though if you don’t call to cancel within 30-days, you’ll be charged $39.95 for subsequent monthly deliveries.

Ordering a 2-month supply otherwise costs $69.90 + $9.95 shipping. Again, if you don’t cancel, you’ll be charged $79.90 + $9.95 shipping for subsequent 60-day supplies.

Lastly, single orders are also available. You’ll pay $59.95 per 30-day supply + $9.95 shipping.

A 30-day guarantee backs all orders. Call support at 800-221-0905 to cancel the order and return your unused portion for a full refund.

Amazon carries a 30-day supply a bit cheaper at $57.95. Purchasing here also allows for a 30-day return.

What Are the Alternatives to Profemin?

Profemin isn’t the only supplement that claims to offer relief for menopausal symptoms without the use of hormones.

In fact, you find the same blend for much cheaper.

Herbal Pause from Now Foods offers the same dosage of all 3 ingredients in a patented blend called EstroG-100. This is the same blend tested in the 2012 trial reviewed above. They offer a 30-day supply for just $15.11.

Though you should still speak with your physician before use, Herbal Pause may be a better option as their specific blend was researched and you can get a 4-month supply for the cost of 30-day’s worth of Profemin.

The Bottom Line

The ability of Profemin’s 3 ingredients to manage menopausal symptoms has not been well studied individually.

The combination of these ingredients was proven safe and effective in managing menopausal symptoms in 2 clinical trials, however. Still, more work is needed to identify the long-term benefit of Profemin.

At Amazon, Profemin garners a 3.7-star rating on 187 reviews. Though half are 5-star, many users are unsatisfied due to a lack of results, continued menopausal symptoms, and side effects like headaches.

While it may be advantageous to avoid some of the side effects that can be associated with the medical management of menopausal symptoms, I would still recommend speaking to your primary care physician before using Profemin or similar products.

Even if you wish to avoid medical treatment, a visit with your doctor may help clarify some of your questions, determine the safety, and identify a plan of action if a dietary supplement does not offer the relief you need.