Relizen Review: ‘Life Changing’ for Some, Worth a Try

What We Like About Relizen

• It’s a plant-based, hormone-free alternative to hormone replacement therapy.
• The supplement uses ingredients with promising evidence for safety and effectiveness.
• Although it may not work for everyone, most consumer reviews indicate that the product helped reduce menopausal symptoms.

Important Considerations

• Based on the studies, it may take 2–3 months to start working, although some consumers report seeing results sooner.
• Some reviewers report that after initial relief, the product stopped working after prolonged use.
• Consumers report continuing to be billed after canceling their subscriptions. However, you can buy the product without a subscription.
• The return policy only covers unopened boxes.

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Relizen in a Snapshot

Relizen is an OTC, plant-based supplement designed to reduce hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women. It is manufactured by Bonafide, a women’s wellness brand. Several versions of this product have been used in Europe for over 15 years.

Hot flashes are an extremely common symptom of menopause. Approximately 55% of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause and 85% during menopause. (1)

Hot flashes occur when the blood vessels in the peripheral vascular system (arms, hands, legs, and feet) excessively dilate and cause a rapid increase in blood flow and temperature. Night sweats are simply hot flashes that occur at night.

Hot flashes could last between 1–5 minutes and cause anxiety, sweating, heat sensations, flushing, and chills. For some women, hot flashes can be a minor inconvenience. Still, for others, it can severely impact the quality of life.

Relizen is non-hormonal and has no estrogenic effect on the body. It may be of particular interest to people for whom hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not an option or who want to avoid it because of the risk of side effects.

Although the mechanism of Relizen’s ingredients in relieving hot flashes and night sweats is not clearly understood, Bonafide explains that it works by acting upon a serotonin-producing pathway in the brain.

Estrogen directly impacts serotonin levels in the body. When estrogen levels decrease during all stages of menopause, serotonin decreases as well. (2) Serotonin regulates the contraction and relaxation of blood vessels. If there isn’t enough serotonin for regulation, it could increase the risk of hot flashes. (3)

Relizen is meant to be taken daily. The dosing is two tablets taken with a glass of water. To reduce any possible stomach upset, take it with or after meals.

Based on a few studies, Bonafide recommends taking Relizen consistently for at least two months to get the best results. Relizen’s benefits may improve with consistent further use.

The Ingredients and Their Research

Relizen uses 230 mg of a proprietary blend called Purified Cytoplasmic Blend, which is made up of the following:

• Pollen + Pistil Extract PI-82 (Sérélys®)
• Pollen Extract GC-FEM (Sérélys®)

The standardized product made with these extracts and vitamin E is known as Femelis Meno, or Relizen, in the United States. In other countries, this product is known as Femal, Femalen, Meno, Menolesse, Sansage, and Sérélys. This review will cover the available studies on Femelis Meno and Sérélys.

Research on Femelis Meno and Sérélys

In 2018, a small observational study was conducted with 50 women experiencing menopausal symptoms to assess the impact of taking Femelis Meno on their quality of life. The participants were either post-menopausal or who had irregular menstrual bleeding. After 3 months, women reported significant decreases in hot flashes, decreased irritability, and improved sexual and bladder problems. (4)

Similar results were found in a 3-month 2019 observational study of women taking 160 mg of Sérélys twice daily (equivalent to a daily dose of Relizen). A significant number of women had reductions in hot flashes, sleep disturbances, depressive mood, irritability, fatigue, vaginal dryness, and muscle and joint pain. (5)

Survey on Relizen’s Use

Survey data presented at the North American Menopause Society’s Annual Meeting in 2017 showed that in 2,304 menopausal women who took Relizen for at least 3 months: (6)

• 78% reported a reduced frequency of hot flashes
• 75% had reduced intensity of hot flashes
• 69% had a reduced frequency of night sweats
• 68% had reduced intensity of night sweats

In addition to the effects of improving the frequency and duration of symptoms, 58% reported that their quality of life was improved, and 47% had improved sleep quality.

Important Note on These Studies

There are some limitations to the research presented here. Very few randomized clinical trials are available on the effectiveness of PI-82 and GC-FEM supplements, which limits the strength of the research. Most observational studies were open-label, which could introduce some bias into how participants perceived this supplement’s effectiveness.

That being said, Relizen contains more than enough of the active ingredients to likely produce the benefits reported in these studies described here.

Is Relizen Safe?

Relizen should be generally safe for most people, considering that this supplement is hormone-free therapy. According to the studies we’ve evaluated, women taking Femelis Meno and Sérélys reported no adverse side effects. However, a small percentage did experience minor digestive upset and irritation.

Relizen’s ingredients are sourced from southern Sweden and are reported to be inspected for quality. According to Bonafide, the manufacturing facility for Relizen is regularly inspected by the Swedish Medical Products Agency, and its facility passes FDA inspection regulations.

Be sure to speak with your doctor before starting Relizen to ensure it’s a safe choice for you.

Relizen Cost and Buying Options

Relizen is available for purchase through Bonafide’s website at the following prices:

• Single Box (One-Time Purchase): $57
• Single Box (With Subscription): $41
• 3-Month Plan: $111 every 3 months (equals to $37/box)

Bonafide provides free shipping for all its products with a subscription or a $5 flat rate for one-time purchases. The company offers a refund for all unopened products when you initiate a return within 30 days of the first purchase (minus $7 for shipping costs).

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How Relizen Compares to Alternatives

There are several important factors to consider when looking for an all-natural supplement for menopause symptom relief:

• How does the supplement produce relief for menopause symptoms (its mechanism)?
• Is there evidence for safety (preferably long-term) and effectiveness?
• How long will it take to see initial relief?
• Are there any known drug interactions? (The more ingredients a supplement has, the higher the risk of interactions increases.)
• What would be the ongoing cost of using the product?

Based on these factors, here’s how Relizen compares to its other two effective alternatives:

If you are specifically looking for a plant-based, hormone-free supplement (one that does not impact estrogen levels) to help reduce hot flashes and night sweats, Relizen is worth considering.

However, Relizen comes with a few downsides. It lacks long-term safety studies, targets only two menopause symptoms, and has higher monthly costs.

If you are open to another mechanism of action, Estroven is an excellent choice. It is clinically proven to reduce all major symptoms of menopause, has long-term safety studies, and is significantly cheaper than Relizen.

Interested in Trying Relizen?

Relizen is a unique and promising supplement that helps many women find relief from hot flashes and night sweats, significantly improving their quality of life. It may not work for everyone, but it is worth trying.

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