Use of soy and herbals to treat menopausal symptoms

“More than half of women who treat their symptoms of menopause take soy supplements or herbal products as part or all of their therapy.” states The New York Times, which reported on a recently published article in the journal Menopause.

However, the women in this online survey generally felt illinformed about proper doses and use of herbal products.

They considered healthcare providers as the most reliable source of information, but had low confidence in their ability to give sufficient information about treatment options for menopause symptoms.

The authors concluded “large gaps exist between patient expectations and provider preparedness to guide patient decision making.”

This may be true, but it is worth mentioning that these gaps characterize most aspects of CAM treatments used today. It’s challenging enough for healthcare professionals to stay abreast of well designed clinical trial results let alone be “prepared” when the information is conflicting or doesn’t exist.

7/1/06 10:49 JR