Effects of herbal and dietary supplements on cognition in menopause: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
Many postmenopausal women use herbal remedies and dietary supplements to counteract menopausal symptoms, including the decline in cognitive function. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence regarding the efficacy of herbal and dietary supplements on cognition in menopause.


METHODS
Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of herbal medicines and dietary supplements were identified using the Medline, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library 2010 (Issue 2) electronic databases and by hand searches. Data were independently extracted and evaluated by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed by two independent reviewers using the Cochrane Collaboration tool.


RESULTS
Twelve RCTs were included and five of these suggest that isoflavone, soy and Gingko biloba supplementation may improve cognition in postmenopausal women. However, most of the included studies had serious methodological flaws which demand a cautious interpretation of these findings.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence that herbal and dietary supplements might positively affect the cognitive decline during the menopause is not compelling.
Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. Yuri.Clement@sta.uwi.edu
Yuri N
YN
Clement
Igho
I
Onakpoya
Shao K
SK
Hung
Edzard
E
Ernst
D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008593:Menopause; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013025:Glycine max; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007529:Isoflavones; D010936:Plant Extracts