Bee Products for Relieving Menopausal Symptoms

Abstract

BACKGROUND: An overview of honey and other bee products and their health and biological health potentials was highlighted. AIM: The aim of the study was to help females alleviate their menopausal symptoms, when estrogen hormone levels decrease at the end of their fertility phase of life using natural bee products. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two groups of Egyptian women in the menopausal stage, suffering from different symptoms of menopause, participated as volunteers. Full clinical examination, Menopause Rating Scale, Beck anxiety score, and Beck depression score evaluations were recorded. Blood sampling and biochemical analysis were done including female sex hormones, and anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant markers. Participants consumed two tablespoon of the honey (32 ml) diluted in 250 ml of water once daily in the morning for 2 months. Control group received conventional clover honey while the other group consumed a calculated ratio of clover honey enriched with bee pollen, royal jelly, and bee gum. RESULTS: Subjects with a mean age of 49.51 ± 0.82 years who consumed enriched clover honey had significant improvement in somatic, psychological, urogenital, and anxiety score assessment and depression score evaluation. Data from this study group showed that the women experienced the disappearance of hot flushes, night sweats, generalized body pain, and psychological symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, depression, and disturbed sleeping. As for biochemical parameters, estradiol, free testosterone, the antioxidant marker malondialdehyde (MDA), and the anti-inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6) significantly improved at the end of the study. While the control group had mean age of 48.24 ± 0.74 years, they experienced significant improvement of the somatic subscale, depression score, and MDA, and there was no significant effect on urogenital symptoms, anxiety score, IL-6, or any of the female sex hormones. CONCLUSION: Adding Bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly to the clover honey are more effective in slowing down menopausal symptoms.