Equol (S-equol) and hot flushes
What 5 graded rows on equol (s-equol) agree on for hot flushes, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Equol (S-equol) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Equol (S-equol) page, with its PubMed record.
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Equol (S-equol) and hot flushes
5 rows · 1,143 peopleSplit. 3 rows found an improvement and 2 had mixed results.
- BGrade B× 2
- CGrade C× 3
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 9
- People
- 1,143
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 728 people (2019) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 57 to 728 people, published from 2008 to 2021: 1 pooled review and 4 single studies.
The rows
3 improved · 2 mixed- BGrade BHot flushes in postmenopausal women (pooled) · Improved
Meta-analysis, 5 studies · n 728 · 2019 · Peri- or postmenopausal women in 5 randomized trials (6 trials, 779 women, reviewed)
As given in each trial · Varied by trial
Equol significantly lowered hot flush scores overall, with a generally low risk of bias; two of the five pooled trials found no significant benefit and three did.
Row on the Equol (S-equol) page · PubMed 30592686 (opens PubMed)
- BGrade BHot flush frequency in equol non-producers · Improved
RCT · n 160 · 2012 · Equol non-producing postmenopausal Japanese women with at least 1 hot flush a day (126 completed)
10 mg/day · 12 weeks
Hot flushes fell by 1.9 a day (−58.7%) with S-equol vs 1.0 a day (−34.5%) with placebo (p = 0.009); hot flush severity and neck or shoulder stiffness also fell more. No serious adverse effects or changes in clinical parameters.
Row on the Equol (S-equol) page · PubMed 21992596 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CClimacteric symptoms, skin AGEs and visceral fat · Improved
RCT · n 57 · 2021 · Postmenopausal Japanese women, mean age 56 (single centre)
Daily supplement (amount not stated in the abstract) · 3 months
Climacteric symptoms improved in 81% with equol vs 53% with control (p = 0.045). Metabolic and ageing biomarkers did not improve overall; skin autofluorescence and visceral fat improved in some subgroups, mainly equol producers.
Row on the Equol (S-equol) page · PubMed 34506596 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CHot flash frequency vs soy isoflavones (active comparator) · Mixed
RCT · n 102 · 2012 · Postmenopausal women aged 45 to 65 with 5 or more hot flashes a day (US, per a 2015 review)
10, 20 or 40 mg/day · 8 weeks
At week 8 hot flash frequency fell similarly in all groups. Over the whole 8 weeks, 40 mg/day reduced hot flashes more than isoflavones (p = 0.021), and 10 and 20 mg/day improved muscle and joint pain more than isoflavones.
Row on the Equol (S-equol) page · PubMed 22409590 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CMenopausal symptoms with soy isoflavones, by equol producer status · Mixed
RCT · n 96 · 2008 · Healthy menopausal women, grouped as equol producers or non-producers after a week of isoflavones
135 mg/day isoflavones · 6 months
Hot flashes and sweating improved at 3 months, and total symptoms at 6 months, only in women who produced equol; non-producers did not differ from placebo.
Row on the Equol (S-equol) page · PubMed 18395723 (opens PubMed)