Menopause is a natural biological process, but it does come with an array of challenging symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and sleep disturbances.
Millions of women turn to supplements like Equelle and Amberen to help manage these symptoms and of course, you want to know which one is worth your hard earned money.
Editors Note: neither Equelle or Amberen featured on our list of the best menopause supplements, so there are much better options available that contain all of the functional ingredients in both of these supplements, generally we recommend EstroCare for most cases, but you can find the full list here.
We do also have individual more detailed reviews on Amberen and Equelle if you’re looking for more information.
Equelle: An Overview
Equelle is a non-hormonal supplement that helps alleviate menopause symptoms. It contains a key ingredient known as S-equol, a naturally occurring compound produced from soy isoflavones. Soy isoflavones are a relatively common ingredient in menopause supplements, and whilst Equelle is relatively inexpensive, there are plenty of options at a lower price point.
How Does Equelle Work?
Equelle works by mimicking the effects of estrogen in the body. Its active ingredient, S-equol is a phytoestrogen (plant based estrogen compound) that in theory binds to estrogen receptors to help alleviate hot flashes and muscle discomfort associated with menopause. There are several studies that do back up soy isoflavones use for the symptoms of menopause, particularly hot flashes which you can read more about here.
Benefits of Equelle
Equelle claims to offer several benefits, including:
- Reduction in the frequency of hot flashes
- Decrease in muscle discomfort
- Improvement in general menopause symptoms
Possible Side Effects of Equelle
Equelle is generally considered safe with minimal side effects. However, some women might experience mild stomach upset or diarrhea. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen. And of course anyone who has a soy allergy should avoid Equelle.
Amberen: An Overview
Amberen is another popular menopause relief supplement. It is a clinically tested product designed to help women cope with various symptoms of menopause.
How Does Amberen Work?
Amberen however is designed to help the body to produce its hormones. Which can in turn help restore hormonal balance, which can subsequently alleviate various menopause symptoms. The ingredients are more based on making sure that you get the essential vitamins that women need more of during this time of life.
The problem with Amberen is that almost all of the ingredients are well below their optimal doses used in clinical studies. The vitamins are of course helpful, but is it much better than something you could get from a multivitamin, not particularly. And deficiencies in these vitamins can definitely make menopause symptoms worse, which is why some women find relief using the product.
And once again like Equelle all of these ingredients are present in better doses in other supplements, as in EstroCare, which we mentioned earlier in the editors note.
Benefits of Amberen
Amberen offers numerous benefits, including:
- Relief from hot flashes
- Reduction in night sweats
- Improvement in sleep, mood, and energy levels
Possible Side Effects of Amberen
Amberen is also generally safe with minimal side effects. However, some users might experience allergic reactions or gastrointestinal issues as is the case with pretty much all supplements.
Equelle vs Amberen: The Comparison
Ingredients
Equelle primarily contains S-equol derived from soy isoflavones. On the other hand, Amberen contains a proprietary blend of succinates, amino acids, minerals, and vitamin E. There isn’t any ingredients in either of these that aren’t in other supplements for relatively little price difference.
Mechanism of Action
While both supplements aim to alleviate menopause symptoms, they work differently. Equelle mimics the effects of estrogen in the body, while Amberen stimulates the body's hormone production.
Safety and Side Effects
Both Equelle and Amberen are considered safe for use. However, they may cause mild side effects in some users, such as stomach upset or diarrhea.
Price
Amberen typically costs around $25 and Equelle is generally closer to $40, and considering the fact that you can get the same soy isoflavones in equelle for half the price, we generally consider amberen to be a better value option.
Amberen vs Equelle Conclusion
Both Equelle and Amberen can offer some minor relief from menopause symptoms, but neither are optimal in terms of their mechanisms of action.
Ultimately, there’s a reason that neither of these supplements made their way into our list of the best supplements for menopause and we’d recommend checking one of those out instead.