Effects of Flaxseed Supplementation on Menopause Symptoms: A Review

Abstract

Menopause is a natural process unrelated to any illness, occurring in women approximately at the age of fifty. It is characterized by hormonal alterations and the permanent cessation of menstruation, identified after women have had at least twelve consecutive months of amenorrhea. Women undergoing menopause may encounter a range of symptoms resulting from hormone abnormalities. Hormone therapy is a commonly used treatment to mitigate menopausal symptoms. Nonetheless, there are apprehensions about an elevated risk of breast cancer. This apprehension has prompted several women to discontinue hormone treatment, resulting in a notable decrease in its use. Consequently, an alternate treatment, such as flaxseed, is necessary for alleviating menopausal symptoms. Flaxseed has shown many impacts on the reproductive system, including the mitigation of menopausal symptoms without elevating the risk of breast cancer. This review aims to analyze the impact of flaxseed supplementation on menopausal symptoms. A comprehensive search of the published medical literature about the acceptability of flaxseed supplementation for menopause symptoms was conducted on ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. Search criteria included research articles written in English with the keywords “flaxseed and menopause”, “flaxseed and menopausal symptoms”, and “flaxseed supplementation and menopausal symptoms”. A total of four studies were ultimately incorporated into this review.