Supplementation with cassis polyphenol has no effect on menopausal symptoms in healthy middle-aged women: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial.

• Cassis polyphenol (CaP; 400 mg/d, 4 weeks) did not improve menopausal symptoms. • CaP (400 mg/d, 4 weeks) did not improve anxiety, quality of life, or sleep. • CaP (400 mg/d, 4 weeks) did not improve hot flashes (HF) or sweating. • HF and sweating improved in the CaP group during a 2-week post-intervention period. • CaP had limited effects on menopausal symptoms and may require longer intervention. Hormonal changes during the menopause transition may lead to vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes (HFs) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and irritability. We hypothesized that the effects of cassis polyphenol (CaP) to improve microcirculation and vasorelaxation may alleviate menopausal symptoms. We performed a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial involving 59 healthy women (mean [standard deviation] age, 51.3 [4.3] years; body mass index, 20.8 [2.6] kg/m2). Participants experiencing subjective menopausal symptoms consumed CaP tablets (400 mg/d, CaP group) or placebo tablets (placebo group) for 4 weeks. Participants were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, during the 4-week intervention period, and during a 2-week postinterventional observation period. The primary objective was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with CaP on HFs in healthy Japanese women with menopausal symptoms. Additional assessments included the modified Kupperman menopausal index, World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, World Health Organization quality-of-life 26-item index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (anxiety and trait components), and Oguri–Shirakawa–Azumi sleep inventory (middle-aged and elderly versions). During the 4-week intervention period, no significant between-group differences were detected in the HF frequency, HF score, sweating frequency, menopausal symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, or sleep. During the 2-week postintervention observational period, the HF score and sweating frequency were significantly decreased in the CaP group compared with the placebo group. These findings suggest that twice daily intake of CaP for 4 weeks does not alleviate menopause symptoms, but the improvement observed in the CaP intake group during the postintervention period warrants confirmation through further large-scale studies. CaP may alleviate menopausal symptoms by microcirculatory and antioxidant effects. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial in 59 healthy women (mean ± standard deviation; age: 51.3 ± 4.3 years, BMI, 20.8 ± 2.6 kg/m2) revealed no significant differences in HF or sweating frequency, HF score, menopausal symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, or sleep between groups. In the 2-week observation after the intervention, HF scores and sweating frequency were significantly reduced in the CaP group. Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CaP, cassis polyphenols; HF, hot flash. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]