Amberen vs.Estroven, menopause relief supplements

Are Amberen or Estroven menopause relief supplements best?

Perimenopause and menopause can be challenging stages in a woman’s life because they bring a plethora of uncomfortable symptoms and have no predictable beginning or end date. Menopause supplements have been developed to mitigate these symptoms and make them less debilitating. Still, there are many different types of supplements and lots of conflicting information about which ingredients do and do not work. Amberen and Estroven are two of the most popular menopause relief supplements, although they approach the problem differently.

Things to know about Amberen

Amberen is a clinically-tested menopause supplement uniquely designed to support your endocrine glands. These are hormone-producing organs that include your ovaries, thyroid, hypothalamus and adrenals and they can be adversely affected by menopause. Amberen combines antioxidants (succinates), amino acids, minerals and vitamin E to restore balance to your hormone levels, thereby relieving symptoms such as sudden weight gain and hot flashes. It is 100% free of hormones, soy, stimulants and additives, although it does contain some synthetic ingredients.

Amberen is available in two slightly different versions, one for menopause and one for perimenopause. Both formulas contain the same ingredients, but the perimenopause supplement also contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, folate and B12.

The supplements are sold in 60-capsule bottles with a dosage of two capsules a day. Amberen is available starting at $75 for a three-month supply (about $25 per month).

Amberen pros

Amberen claims to relieve up to 12 menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, low energy, weight gain, stress, irritability, head and joint aches, insomnia, low libido and difficulty concentrating.
It is a unique formula designed to help regulate hormone production, chemical reactions and brain cell activity and act as an antioxidant.
It contains Zinc which boosts metabolism.
Amberen works within the first month, with clinically significant results occurring between 30 and 90 days.
No adverse side effects were reported in three clinical trials on perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Amberen cons

Some reviewers describe Amberen as giving them no relief from symptoms.
Amberen contains a small amount of monosodium L-glutamate, which many women find off-putting and may cause a mild reaction in some people.
Amberen’s proprietary formula doesn’t reveal how much of each ingredient is in each dose. This may adversely affect women sensitive to a specific ingredient, such as zinc or magnesium, or who aren’t getting enough of those ingredients.

Things to know about Estroven

Estroven is an all-natural, organic supplement that works to reduce all menopause symptoms. Since menopause symptoms vary widely, Estroven offers six different targeted formulas:

The main ingredients in Estroven supplements are Black Cohosh, Soy Isoflavones (except for Estroven Complete) and Rhapontic Rhubarb extract. Along with magnolia bark, melatonin, ginkgo biloba and synetrim CQ, many of these ingredients have been independently tested for efficacy in clinical trials.

Estroven is sold in 28 caplet bottles with a serving size of one caplet per day and is available starting at for $19.

Estroven pros

Estroven is hormone, gluten, GMO and MSG-free.
It uses all-natural, vegan ingredients.
In clinical trials, rhapontic rhubarb reduced the frequency of hot flashes by 80% and anxiety by 61%.
For most women, it works within the first month.

Estroven cons

Some women found that Estroven didn’t relieve any symptoms. In a few rare cases, women reported starting their period again after being period-free for a year.
Per Examine.com, what few blind studies have been conducted on the efficacy of black cohosh without any other compounds, have yielded mixed results.
Some women experience stomach upset and nausea from taking Estroven, possibly attributable to the black cohosh or rhubarb.

Should you get Amberen or Estroven?

Both Amberen and Estroven contain ingredients that are well established in providing relief for menopause symptoms, but they have their problems too. Amberen contains several synthetic ingredients and small amounts of MSG, and its proprietary formula hides dosages. Estroven is completely natural, but negative reviews describe either getting no relief or having an adverse reaction to the soy, black cohosh or rhubarb. Estroven is marginally cheaper and has the advantage of being only one pill per day instead of two with Amberen. Many women have found relief from symptoms after taking one or other of these supplements. As with any new supplement, be sure to check with your doctor before you start a different regime to get their advice on which formula is better suited to your specific symptoms.

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Bryony Gilbey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.