Amberen is a women's health brand that sells supplements to relieve symptoms of menopause and perimenopause like hot flashes, night sweats and difficulty sleeping. The brand describes their products as "clinically proven menopause relief."
But is Amberen proven to work in legitimate clinical trials? Do the supplements have any side effects? Do they contain any unhealthy additives? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Amberen?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the clinical trials on Amberen to see if the brand is proven to work or not.
We'll also analyze the ingredients in Amberen Menopause Relief and Amberen Perimenopause Relief to give our take on whether or not they're effectively formulated, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll discuss the risk of side effects, and feature real Amberen customer reviews.
Is Amberen Proven to Work?
The Amberen website claims that the supplement is clinically proven to work, with some highlighted results shown above.
A clinical trial published in the Gynecological Endocrinology journal tested the effects of Amberen on a number of menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, headaches and difficulty sleeping.
Women taking Amberen experienced a 46.8% decrease in hot flashes, a 42% decrease in difficulty sleeping and a 54.9% decrease in sadness or depression.
A 2019 medical review on Amberen assessed data from two clinical trials on the supplement.
The study authors analyzed the effect of Amberen on 21 menopausal symptoms and concluded that Amberen "is shown to relieve menopausal symptoms."
The three symptoms which didn’t improve with Amberen use were: numbness and tingling in some body parts, numbness of hands and feet, and difficulty breathing.
Because all study participants were Caucasians of Russian ancestry, the authors note that these results might not necessarily apply to women with different genetic backgrounds, and that further research is needed using more diverse population samples.
Overall, we will conclude that Amberen is likely to be effective for reducing menopausal symptoms, and we're impressed by the research backing this supplement.
These clinical trials are published in legitimate, peer-reviewed journals which is the gold standard for product research.
Amberen Menopause Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Amberen Advanced Menopause Relief Capsules are shown above.
Ammonium succinate, calcium disuccinate and magnesium disuccinate are part of a class of compounds called succinates which influence metabolism.
A 2008 clinical trial found that succinates are effective in relieving both physical and mental menopausal symptoms.
The above-linked clinical trial found that succinate supplementation increased estradiol levels by 400%. Estradiol is the primary form of estrogen in the body, and since menopause is caused by declining hormone levels, it makes sense that a therapy which naturally increases the body's production of this hormone would be effective.
It's worth noting that Amberen cut the active ingredient dose for this supplement by around half since our initial review, and we're not sure why. That's somewhat uncommon in a clinically studied supplement.
The inactive ingredients in this supplement are shown below:
Titanium dioxide is a colorant that's banned in the EU for use as a food additive over concerns that it may damage DNA, as we referenced in our Olly Lovin Libido reviews article on another women's health supplement containing this ingredient.
Amberen vs. Estroven
Estroven is another women's health supplement that claims to relieve symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and weight gain, so consumers are often curious about which is the better option.
As we documented in our Estroven reviews article, that supplement is made from an extract of rhubarb rather than succinates.
Estroven has been clinically shown to improve menopausal symptoms, but the only clinical trial we could locate proving such was in perimenopausal women, not menopausal women.
Because Amberen is clinically proven to be effective in menopausal women in multiple trials, we would recommend it over Estroven.
We consider both supplements likely to be effective, but the research backing for Amberen is more impressive.
Unfortunately, Estroven also contains titanium dioxide.
Real People Try Amberen
A YouTube creator named Theresa M. claims that Amberen wasn't effective for her:
A YouTube user named "Your Customers Shoes" claims that Amberen Perimenopause was highly effective:
Does Amberen Cause Side Effects?
The medical review of two Amberen trials we cited in the Ingredient Analysis section reported no serious side effects.
The researchers stated that “patients reported no side effects during the performance of both studies.”
This is a fantastic result given how positive the study results were. Often there will at least be some minor side effects reported, even with safe botanical active ingredients.
The clinical trial on succinate-based therapy for menopause that we cited in the Ingredient Analysis section also concluded that there were no side effects.
Based on the available research, we consider Amberen unlikely to cause any side effects in healthy adults.
However, since the duration of all trials cited in this article was less than a year, it may be worthwhile for consumers to speak with their doctor if they plan on taking Amberen for more than one year on a continuous basis.
Does Amberen Perimenopause Work?
The active ingredients in Amberen Advanced Perimenopause Relief Capsules are shown above.
Perimenopause is the medical term for the transition from the regular hormonal cycle to menopause.
Vitamin B1 and vitamin B9 are part of a blend of vitamins in this supplement.
A 2019 medical review on supplements for menopause concluded the following: "Vitamins and minerals may be important for women who are at risk for deficiencies, but do not seem to reduce menopausal symptoms."
Amberen claims that this supplement is clinically proven to work, but we can't find any clinical trials on this formulation; only on Amberen Advanced Menopause Relief.
This supplement, like Amberen Menopause Relief, contains a blend of succinates which are clinically shown to be effective for relieving symptoms. However, the manufacturer cut the dose of these active ingredients as well, and we're unsure why.
The inactive ingredients in this supplement are shown below:
FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1 and FD&C Red #3 are artificial food dyes. As we documented in our review of Midol ingredients, some clinical studies have shown toxicity to be associated with all currently approved food dyes.
Titanium dioxide is also included in this supplement, and we explained in the previous Ingredient Analysis section why we recommend avoiding this ingredient.
Overall, we consider Amberen Perimenopause Relief somewhat likely to be effective due to the succinate complex, but we don't recommend it and consider it a worse formulation than Amberen Menopause Relief due to the potentially unnecessary vitamin blend and the artificial food dyes.
Our Clean Menopause Support Picks
Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract is our top menopause support pick.
A meta-study on natural products for treating female sexual dysfunction found that panax ginseng was effective for improving sexual arousal and sexual desire in women.
Relizen by Bonafide is our top premium menopause symptom pick.
This supplement contains two forms of purified pollen extract, which was shown to reduce hot flashes, night disturbances and depression caused by menopause in a meta-analysis published in the Menopause journal.
Both of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Where to Get the Best Price
Amberen Menopause Relief and Amberen Perimenopause Relief are sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
Advanced Menopause Relief Capsules
Walgreens: $39.99 (free shipping, link)
CVS: $38.79 (free shipping, link)
Brand website: $29.99 (free shipping, link)
Walmart: $29.97 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $28.75 (free shipping, third-party seller, link to Amazon listing)
Advanced Perimenopause Relief Capsules
Walgreens: $35.99 (free shipping, link)
Brand website: $29.99 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $28 (free shipping, third-party seller, link to Amazon listing)
Amberen's supplements are currently cheaper on Amazon than the brand's website, however, the Amazon listings are from third-party sellers so it may be safer to purchase directly from the manufacturer.
Amberen Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Amberen in our opinion:
Pros:
- Studied in legitimate clinical trials
- Menopause Relief supplement clinically proven to work
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Free shipping from brand's website
- Mostly positive online customer reviews
Cons:
- Brand recently cut active ingredient doses
- We can't find clinical studies on Perimenopause Relief
- Both supplements reviewed contain titanium dioxide
- Perimenopause Relief contains synthetic dyes
