Try Swedish Flower Pollen for Naturally Powerful Menopause Relief

Mood swings, hot flashes, waking up drenched throughout the night -- sound familiar? While experiencing menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, and sleeplessness is common, it doesn't have to be your new normal.

Historically, women have relied on prescription HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) to manage their menopause symptoms. But for some women who don't want to rely on HRT due to personal preference or for medical reasons, choosing a naturally occurring treatment option can provide relief without the unwanted risks that can come along with hormones.

"Some women cannot or do not want to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT, estrogen with or without progesterone) and for this reason choose to turn to alternatives for their distressing symptoms," says Bonafide^® Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alyssa Dweck. "For example, women with any hormonally influenced cancer or cancer history (i.e. breast, uterine cancers), those with migraine headaches with aura (who may be at higher risk of stroke with estrogen) and those with propensity towards blood clots (estrogen may increase this risk further) should steer clear of hormones," says Dr. Dweck.

Phytoestrogens, which are naturally occurring “estrogen like” substances from plants, are another concern for women with a history of hormonally sensitive cancers. “Phytoestrogens are not typically recommended in this group.” says Dr. Dweck.

Enter Swedish flower pollen, the menopause relief wonder ingredient that can help you cope with certain menopause symptoms as a safe and effective alternative to prescription medications, including HRT. Swedish flower pollen is categorically non-estrogenic, making it safe for those who want or need to avoid estrogen and phytoestrogens altogether. Swedish flower pollen is one of the key ingredients in Relizen^® by Bonafide, which provides powerful, hormone-free relief from menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.* Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about how this key ingredient works and how to know if it’s right for you.

What is Swedish Flower Pollen?

Swedish flower pollen extract is not actually a single ingredient. Rather, it’s a common term for a type of plant extract that was traditionally used in Scandinavia for many years.  This pollen came from several different plants, some of which helped to relieve certain menopausal symptoms, according to Bonafide Chief Science Officer, Jim Komorowski.  It's important to note that not all Swedish flower pollen extract products come from the same plants, and also that flower pollen is not the same as bee pollen (more on those points later). But utilizing flower pollen in its whole form isn’t ideal, which is why Bonafide’s Swedish flower pollen is made using a proprietary technology to access the most potent nutrients from the pollen. “Pollen itself has an outer shell that can be allergenic; the potent nutrients are really inside the pollen grain in the cytoplasm,” says Komorowski.

Essentially, the pollen is collected from several specific flowering plants and then the pollen grains are broken down, making it easier to retrieve the inner contents, which are nutrient-rich and can be used in a supplement. "You're basically getting a purified extract of the flower pollen," says Komorowski.

Swedish Flower Pollen vs Bee Pollen

One important thing to note about Swedish flower pollen, is that it's not the same as bee pollen – which may sound confusing. But bee pollen is different from flower pollen, mainly because flower pollen contains different nutrients. "The bee pollen only gets created when the bees are transferring the nutrients and creating their own pollen. We're taking the pollen directly from the plants," says Komorowski. For this reason, if you're concerned about allergies and bee pollen, know that flower pollen is different since the plant is generating the nutrients in the pollen, as opposed to a bee.  While bee pollen has its own specific benefits, "the flower pollen is where we see the benefits on menopausal symptoms," explains Komorowski.

Benefits and Efficacy of Swedish Flower Pollen for Menopause

There are several ways Swedish flower pollen can help safely and effectively manage menopause symptoms. Common symptoms that Swedish flower pollen (specifically the types that are found in Relizen) can help with include hot flashes and night sweats, irritability and mood swings, and sleep issues.* Clinical studies have shown that the Swedish flower pollen in Relizen is a safe and effective option for women who are experiencing these menopausal symptoms.

Bonafide's Solution for Menopausal Hot Flashes and Night Sweats*

Relizen^® is a prescription-free dietary supplement designed to decrease the frequency and intensity of menopausal hot flashes and night sweats.*

Learn More Here

As we mentioned earlier, not all Swedish flower pollen products are created equal. They may include pollen from different plants or use different amounts of a specific type of pollen. All of this can affect everything from efficacy to dosage, so it’s worth taking the time to research your options to find the product that best suits your needs.

If you are unsure if it is right for you, always speak to your healthcare provider before starting something new.

Reducing Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

A 2005 randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study on the use of Swedish flower pollen extract in menopausal women found that 65% of the women experienced an improvement in their hot flashes.¹ It is hypothesized that Swedish flower pollen works to modulate your body's thermostat, without the use of hormones. Although the exact mechanism of how Swedish flower pollen works to help improve menopausal hot flashes is still somewhat unclear, what we do know from the research is that many women report improvement in their symptoms, without the same concerns of risk that can come along with using HRT or side effects of other prescription therapies. "It does not appear to have any estrogenic potential, as demonstrated in studies.  Some have theorized Swedish flower pollen works through serotonin-like pathways.," says Dr. Dweck.

According to a survey² in women who used Relizen, 75% said they experienced less frequent and less intense hot flashes and 68% experienced less frequent and less intense night sweats.

Curbing Irritability and Mood Swings

One common complaint in women experiencing menopause is mood swings and irritability. Swedish flower pollen is known for helping to reduce the severity of these symptoms. As Dr. Dweck mentioned earlier, it's thought that Swedish flower pollen works through serotonin pathways. Serotonin is also known as the "feel good" neurotransmitter.

"When serotonin levels are down, that's when you become moody and depressed. And what we're seeing is one of the benefits of Swedish flower pollen is it looks to have an effect [on serotonin].  [It] makes a lot of sense as to why it can help with mood, because it may help raise serotonin levels in the brain," says Komorowski. Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women showed that Relizen was helpful for calming irritability.³

Improving Sleep

The hormonal shifts that women experience during menopause can wreak havoc on sleep quality. The changes in estrogen and progesterone levels, in addition to an increase in cortisol and a decrease in melatonin, can all affect sleep quality and duration. In addition to these changes, night sweats and hot flashes can also disrupt your sleep or wake you up at night. For this reason, Swedish flower pollen’s ability to help reduce night sweats and hot flashes can also help improve sleep quality. Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women showed that Relizen was helpful for improving sleep quality.⁴

What to Expect and Who Shouldn't Take Swedish Flower Pollen for Menopause

Like most natural alternatives, it can take some time to see results with your symptoms. In clinical studies for Relizen, the majority of women felt significant improvement in the frequency and intensity of their menopausal hot flashes and night sweats by month 3 of consistent use, with survey data showing that relief improves over time with continued use.⁵ According to Komorowski, the process takes longer than some other options out there since it takes time for the key nutrients to build up in the body and take effect. The exact time it takes can also vary from person to person, which is important to keep in mind.

Who Shouldn't Take Swedish Flower Pollen?

"​Anyone with a known sensitivity should avoid this ingredient. The Swedish flower pollen used in Bonafide’s products is designed to remove allergens (removing the pollen shell and proteins) and thus even those with hay fever can be candidates for use," says Dr. Dweck.

Aside from any known sensitivity to Swedish flower pollen, if you have any concerns about taking products containing Swedish flower pollen, you should always talk to your healthcare provider to understand if it's right for you or if it could interact with any medications you are taking.

Swedish Flower Pollen Side Effects

Swedish flower pollen is generally regarded as safe, and it does not have hormonal side-effects since it is non-estrogenic. Additionally, Swedish flower pollen has been used safely in Europe by over 1 million women, where it has been available for over 15 years. For some women, Swedish flower pollen can have an energizing effect, so if you find that taking it at night keeps you awake, you can take it earlier in the day to avoid any unwanted wakefulness at night.

Resources

1. K. Winther, E. Rein, and C. Hedman. Climacteric 2005;8:162-170
2. Survey data. Goldstein SR, Veledar E, Perez Ojalvo S, et al. Menopause. 2017;24:12:1455.
3. Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women. Elia D, Mares P. Genesis. 2008:135:12-15.
4. Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women. Elia D, Mares P. Genesis. 2008:135:12-15.
5. Winther K, Rein E, Hedman C. Femal, a herbal remedy made from pollen extracts, reduces hot flashes and improves quality of life in menopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study. Climacteric. 2005;8:162-170.