Estroven is a women's health brand that sells supplements for the relief of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. The brand claims to be the "#1 Menopause Brand of Choice Among Women."
But is Estroven actually proven in clinical trials to be effective, and if so, to what degree? Does the supplement contain research-backed ingredients for the relief of menopausal symptoms? Does it cause side effects? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Estroven?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Estroven Complete (the brand's most popular supplement) and Estroven Weight Management (the brand's weight loss supplement) to give our take on whether they're likely to be effective, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll share our concerns about Estroven's claims of clinical efficacy, discuss the risk of side effects, and feature real Estroven customer reviews.
Estroven Complete Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Estroven Complete Multi-Symptom Menopause Relief, the brand's most popular supplement, are shown above.
Rhapontic rhubarb root extract is the only active ingredient in this supplement.
A clinical trial published in the Menopause journal tested the effects of rhubarb root extract on menopausal symptoms. After 84 days, rhubarb extract reduced menopausal symptoms by 60%.
It's important to note that the participants in this trial were perimenopausal (the period before menopause).
Another clinical trial, this time with menopausal women as participants, found rhubarb extract to be similarly effective. The average menopausal symptom score decreased by over 50% over the course of the trial.
Titanium dioxide is an inactive ingredient in this formulation that health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid.
As we referenced in our Yaz birth control reviews article, titanium dioxide is banned in the EU for use as a food additive due to concerns that it may damage DNA.
Overall, we consider Estroven Complete likely to be effective for the relief of menopausal symptoms in both menopausal and perimenopausal women. We don't currently recommend this supplement due to the use of titanium dioxide.
A YouTube creator named Kika Renteria shared her experience taking Estroven Complete:
Questionable Health Claims
Estroven's packaging claims that the product is "clinically proven" to work, and makes specific health claims about reductions in hot flashes and night sweats.
We find these claims to be questionable, because we can't find any clinical trials on Estroven published in peer-reviewed journals (we searched PubMed when updating this article).
It's true that the active ingredient in Estroven Complete is clinically shown to be effective, but we find it to be confusing and unfair for a brand to make a claim of efficacy just because one of its ingredients is proven effective.
We recommend that consumers be wary of health brands making claims that their products are clinically proven to work without clearly providing proof to support such claims.
Weight Management Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Estroven Menopause Relief Weight Management are shown above.
Black cohosh root extract was shown in an animal study to reduce weight gain, but this doesn't necessarily prove the same in humans, and the equivalent dose was vastly higher than the dose in Estroven Weight Management.
We cannot find any human trials proving this ingredient effective.
Soy isoflavones were studied in a meta-review published in the Nutrition journal for their effect on weight loss.
This class of compounds were found to cause weight loss and the most effective dose was under 100 milligrams (mg), making the 56 mg in Estroven an effective dose.
A medical review analyzed the chemical compounds in soy isoflavones, and concluded that they “could have health benefits in human obesity.”
CQR-300 is a trademarked extract of Cissus quadrangularis, which is a plant in the grape family that’s native to parts of Africa and Asia.
A clinical trial published in the Lipids in Health and Disease journal found that this ingredient reduced obesity “regardless of diet” which is impressive.
However, the dose used in the study was 1,028 mg, or more than 300% of the amount in a serving of Estroven.
Another clinical trial, this time using the same dosage as in Estroven, found that Cissus was effective for weight loss. Study participants taking Cissus extract lost nearly 10% of their body fat over the course of eight weeks.
Overall, we consider Estroven Menopause Relief Weight Management likely to be effective for weight loss because it contains two ingredients we consider effectively dosed based on a review of existing clinical research.
Titanium dioxide is included as an inactive ingredient, so we don't currently recommend this supplement.
Does Estroven Cause Side Effects?
Estroven hasn't been studied in any clinical trials to our knowledge, which makes it challenging to say for certain whether or not the supplements cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on the active ingredients used.
Rhubarb may be toxic to the liver according to a 2021 medical review on the plant, however the dose in Estroven (4 mg) is vastly lower than any supposed toxic threshold.
Black cohosh may cause dizziness and vomiting at high doses based on a 2022 medical review, but again we would not categorize the amount in Estroven as anywhere near a high dose.
We do not consider Estroven likely to cause side effects in healthy adults, because its active ingredients appear safe and well-studied.
There is currently no reference to these supplements causing side effects on Estroven's website.
Estroven vs. Amberen
Amberen is another popular supplement brand for menopausal symptoms, so consumers are often curious about which is a better option.
Amberen uses a novel class of chemical compounds called succinates as active ingredients rather than rhubarb extract.
We would recommend Amberen over Estroven, because Amberen has been clinically proven to work in trials published in peer-reviewed journals, which is the gold standard for product research.
We consider both supplements likely to relieve menopausal symptoms based on their respective formulations, but it seems logical to choose the supplement backed by clinical research when the price is similar.
Unfortunately, like Estroven, Amberen supplements contain questionable additive ingredients like titanium dioxide.
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
Estroven is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase of the two supplements reviewed in this article, at the time of updating this article:
Estroven Complete
Walgreens: $29.99 (plus shipping, link)
CVS: $29.49 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $29.97 (plus shipping, link)
Brand website: $19.99 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $17.26 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Estroven Menopause Relief Weight Management
Walgreens: $26.99 (plus shipping, link)
CVS: $24.79 (plus shipping, link)
Brand website: $18.99 (free shipping, link)
Walmart: $18.68 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $18.68 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Amazon currently has the best price for both supplements when factoring in shipping fees.
Customers Rate Estroven
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Estroven Complete has been reviewed over 15,000 times on Amazon, and currently has an average review rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Miss EO" who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
"I started noticing improvement within a few days: hot flashes went from too many to count to 2-3 a day, and they’re shorter and no actual sweating; I can sleep through the night, and no night sweats; my mood is more stable and more upbeat."
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Alex" who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
"I have absolutely horrible hot flashes. They are 100 times worse at night. My sheets and clothes are soaked every night. I have not had my period in 3 months. My Dr. told me to try Estroven. I have been taking it for 1 month and no change. I have horrible hot flashes still. It did not work for me."
Estroven Complete currently has an average review rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google.
Estroven Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Estroven in our opinion:
Pros:
- Effective formulations
- Affordable
- Free shipping from brand's website
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Positive online customer reviews
Cons:
- Contains titanium dioxide
- We can't find clinical trials to support brand's claims
- Less research backing than Amberen
