If you’re menopausal and struggling with hot flashes and night sweats, it may be comforting to know you’re very far from alone. Studies have found that up to 75% of women in the United States experience hot flashes during the menopausal transition, according to the North American Menopause Society.1
As a company dedicated to researching and developing hormone-free solutions for menopause symptoms, Bonafide took note of this disruptive symptom set, and prioritized creating an over-the-counter supplement option for managing menopausal hot flashes and night sweats.
Relizen, Bonafide’s first product launched in 2011, has been recommended by nearly 7,000 healthcare providers, and is clinically shown to reduce both the frequency and intensity of menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, in addition to providing some relief from irritability and poor quality sleep.*2
What is Relizen?
Relizen is a hormone-free, drug-free, dietary supplement designed to ease menopausal hot flashes and night sweats*, using naturally powerful ingredients. It works through non-hormonal pathways in the body to address changes to the brain’s thermoregulatory zone, or its “thermostat,” which can change during menopause, triggering hot flashes, explains Bonafide Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alyssa Dweck.
During menopause, dropping estrogen levels cause the part of your brain that regulates temperature to become less tolerant in terms of what’s comfortable. “Women in menopause may notice that they have a smaller window of temperature tolerance, which is why they experience symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats,” Dr. Dweck says.
She adds that Relizen is thought to work through serotonin-type pathways in the brain, which work to help to regulate temperature response, potentially lessening the severity and frequency of these symptoms.3
Relizen’s Key Ingredient – Swedish Flower Pollen
Relizen features a unique and proprietary blend of Swedish flower pollen, which is extracted from four specific plants traditionally grown in Scandinavia; it’s an ingredient with a long history of traditional use in supporting women’s health.
It’s important to note that flower pollen isn’t the same as bee pollen, explains Bonafide Chief Science Officer, Jim Komorowski. He adds that the flower pollen used in Relizen is specially processed in a way that will increase the potency of the ingredient, while removing allergenic material.
“Flower pollen naturally comes in grains made up of an outer shell and an inner cytoplasm that contains all the key nutrients," Komorowski says. While the outside of the pollen grain protects these nutrients, it also makes it harder for the body to absorb and use them. And the proteins in that outer shell can also be allergenic.
“What we do is remove the powerful nutrients on the inside of the pollen grain and get rid of the outer shell,” Komorowski explains. “Now the cytoplasm of the flower pollen can much more readily be utilized, and it doesn't contain the allergenic outer shell.”
What Sets Relizen Apart?
In addition to this unique extraction method, what sets Relizen apart from other supplements designed to address menopausal hot flashes and night sweats is the quality and specificity of the flower pollen used. “It's grown in Sweden,” Komorowski says. “The fields don't use pesticides, and the plants are grown as organically as they can be.”
Komorowski adds that after the flower pollen used in Relizen is extracted in Sweden, it’s shipped to the U.S. and rigorously tested for quality and purity. It’s then made into tablets using good manufacturing practices to meet FDA guidelines for dietary supplements and is tested again for quality and safety purposes.
“It’s important to note that the tablets themselves are the color and flavor of the pollen itself,” Komorowski adds. “We don’t add any artificial colors or flavors.”
Key Benefits of Relizen for Women in Menopause
Numerous clinical studies have shown the ability of Relizen to reduce certain menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, irritability and sleep problems.4
In one survey, 75% of women taking Relizen experienced fewer and less intense hot flashes after just three months of consistent use, while 68% experienced fewer and less intense night sweats during that same time period. When asked if they planned to continue taking Relizen, 88% of the women surveyed replied ‘yes’.5
Another study, conducted in France in over 400 menopausal women, found that 93% of participants thought the product was “very effective” or “quite effective” in reducing the discomfort associated with menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, with 77.5% of participants stating they would “definitely” be happy to continue with the treatment.6
Dr. Dweck calls out an important note – that the benefits with Relizen won’t be achieved overnight and reminds women to have reasonable expectations in terms of when they’ll start to see results. But clinical evidence indicates that the majority of women using Relizen start to see significant symptom improvement after 2-3 months of consistently taking it.7
While various clinical studies and patient surveys have demonstrated the benefits Relizen can provide toward reducing menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, another key benefit of this product involves what it doesn't contain. In addition to being hormone-free, Relizen is phytoestrogen-free, meaning it doesn't contain plant extracts that can mimic hormones in the body, and it doesn't work through hormonal pathways. It’s also free of steroids. And, while Relizen is recommended by a growing network of healthcare providers, it doesn't require a prescription.
Why Hormone-Free Treatment Options for Hot Flashes are Important
While hormone replacement therapy, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), compounded bioidentical hormones and phytoestrogens (plant-sourced estrogen-like ingredient) are all options for managing a myriad of menopause symptoms, many women may prefer to avoid or they simply can’t use products that contain hormones for health reasons. For these women — including those with breast cancer concerns — Relizen offers an effective, hormone-free alternative to managing hot flashes and night sweats.8
“I always defer to an individual’s healthcare provider to provide input on each person, but there should be no reason why estrogen-sensitive breast cancer alone should prevent women from using Relizen,” Dr. Dweck says. “In fact, we have information in the breast cancer population that this is a very viable alternative to help manage hot flashes.”9
Who Shouldn’t Use Relizen?
While it’s always a good idea to check with a healthcare provider before starting any new product or supplement, Komorowski says both clinical and anecdotal evidence suggest that Relizen can be used safely by most women without any serious risks of side effects or negative drug interactions. In the aforementioned French study of over 400 menopausal women, tolerance was deemed “excellent” in more than 98% of participants.10
If you’re struggling with frustrating hot flashes and night sweats during menopause and are considering effective, hormone-free options, consider giving Relizen a try!
Are There Customer Reviews for Relizen?
Over the years, many women have had and shared their success with Relizen, specifically in their journey toward reducing the frequency and intensity of menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. You can check out some of our Relizen customer reviews below, with all reviews available directly on our Relizen product page.
A Review from Tori
Works!
My hot flashes would hit me like a Mack truck, and I was miserable. After about 6 months of dealing with it my friend told me about Relizen, and I’m so incredibly relieved that my hot flashes have stopped. It took three months, just as the directions said. Miracle product!
A Review from Diane
LOVE THIS PRODUCT
About 6 months ago I started having hot flashes that woke me up about every hour or two, making me feel absolutely terrible, every day. Hormone replacement was not an option for me since I am a breast cancer survivor, so this product was very appealing to me. It took about 3 months for this product to resolve my hot flashes, but it was well worth the wait. My life is back to normal, no more hot flashes being up all night or walking around all day with a mini portable fan!!!! I just recently added their probiotic into my routine also. Can't say enough great things to everyone I know about Bonafide products, LOVE THEM!!!!!
A Review from Aisha
It’s Worth the Wait
As I approached the age of 50, my hot flashes and night [sweats] got pretty frequent and intense. My gynecologist recommended Relizen, and, desperate for relief, I gave it a shot. For the first couple of months, my symptoms remained pretty much the same, but as I approached month three, they abated. I now rarely get hot flashes during the day, and while I run a bit hot at night, I rarely wake up dripping in sweat the way I used to. My quality of life has definitely improved, and I have recommended Relizen to friends.
A Review from Denise
Relizen
I was skeptical that anything would help my hot flashes and was overjoyed when I finally got relief! After 3 months I stopped getting hot flashes. I couldn’t be happier. I can wear sweaters again! 😂 Amazing product. I couldn’t be happier.
A Review from Diana
Most Relief I’ve Had! Very Satisfied
I have been sleeping more and more and now, after being on Relizen for 3 months, I only wake up maybe once a night and I haven't had a night sweat in weeks! I still do get a little overheated and have to uncover, but NOTHING like I'd been suffering through before. Very easy to take as well, only once a day. My mood has improved, and my family is no longer threatening to throw me out. ;-) Thank you Bonafide!
Resources:
- https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-hot-flashes#:~:text=As%20many%20as%2075%25%20of,what%20is%20happening%20and%20why
- Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women. Elia D, Mares P. Genesis. 2008:135:12-15
- https://www.newsweek.com/sponsored/treat-your-hot-flash-symptoms-relizen
- Data from a 3-month, open label trial conducted in 417 menopausal women. Elia D, Mares P. Genesis. 2008:135:12-15
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290532863_Assessment_of_tolerance_and_effectiveness_of_food_supplement_SerelysR_FemalR_in_menopausal_women
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290532863_Assessment_of_tolerance_and_effectiveness_of_food_supplement_SerelysR_FemalR_in_menopausal_women
- Survey data. Goldstein SR, Veledar E, Perez Ojalvo S, et al. Menopause. 2017;24:12:1455
- “How can hot flashes be managed for breast cancer patients and survivors without risk?” M. Espie and R. Druckmann. Menopause. Published 2014, December issue
- “How can hot flashes be managed for breast cancer patients and survivors without risk?” M. Espie and R. Druckmann. Menopause. Published 2014, December issue
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290532863_Assessment_of_tolerance_and_effectiveness_of_food_supplement_SerelysR_FemalR_in_menopausal_women
EMAIL: As a company dedicated to providing women with hormone-free support for menopause symptoms, Bonafide has prioritized supplements for hot flashes from the beginning. That’s why we formulated Relizen, our flagship product that has been recommended by nearly 7,000 doctors, to provide menopausal women with cooling relief from hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause symptoms. What makes Relizen so effective? Read on to find out.
