Effect of Phytoestrogen on Depression and Anxiety in Menopausal Women: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES: In this systematic review, the effectiveness of herbal medicines in improving depression and anxiety in menopausal women was assessed. METHODS: Three following databases were individually searched: MEDLINE (1966-March 2017), SCOPUS (1990-March 2017), and the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; 2017). RESULTS: A total of 9 trials were included in this systematic review. Overall, soy was found to have a beneficial effect. Also, fennel had a significant positive effect on menopausal women with depression and anxiety disorder, but not on healthy women. Red clover showed varying effects ranging from significant to non-significant on depression and anxiety. Moreover, kava was found to have a significant beneficial effect on depression and anxiety at dose of 200 mg/days. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that herbal medicines could improve anxiety and depression in among menopausal women. However, the beneficial effect still remains indefinite due to the poor methodology.