FenuSmart: Comprehensive, clinically substantiated botanical support for women at every stage of life – article

Despite nearly 80% of women prioritizing preventive health management and 70% preferring supplements tailored to their specific needs,¹ the market reality is quite different. One might expect the supplement aisle to be overflowing with options tailored to meet the individual needs of women at every life stage. However, data from Nutrition Business Journal reveals that women’s health products barely register as a percentage of total supplement sales. This is surprising, given that women in the U.S. make up half the population, spend $2 trillion on health care annually, and most take some kind of supplement at least once a week.²

Of the limited women’s health supplements that do exist, most tend to focus solely on reproductive health, neglecting the full spectrum of a woman’s health journey. This journey encompasses not only physical health but also the emotional and mental fluctuations experienced throughout the menstrual cycle and in each chapter of life. From managing PMS symptoms to navigating the transitions of perimenopause and menopause, women need — and deserve — holistic support that acknowledges the evolving complexities of their well-being, distinct and unique from those of their male counterparts.

FenuSmart^®, an innovative ingredient from Akay Bioactives, stands out as a distinctive full-spectrum fenugreek seed extract, clinically substantiated to address women’s diverse wellness needs throughout their lives. Backed by five studies, including four human trials, and two U.S. patents, FenuSmart is renowned for balancing hormone levels, alleviating unwanted hormone-related symptoms and enhancing overall mood and well-being. What's more, FenuSmart is meticulously sourced with complete traceability and boasts water solubility, making it suitable for a wide array of applications.

How it works

FenuSmart contains protodioscin, which is a building block for a hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA is produced in the adrenal gland and metabolized in peripheral tissues and the ovaries to form essential reproductive hormones like estrogen. When these hormones are low or out of balance, it can affect overall well-being. FenuSmart works by supporting the production of these hormones naturally, aligning with the body's natural rhythms.

Clinically supported benefits for a lifetime

FenuSmart is backed by five published studies, including four human trials, substantiating its efficacy for hormonal balance, sexual health, and the management of mood swings, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and other discomforts.

Reproductive years — before perimenopause

FenuSmart provides a plant-based, health solution for women navigating sexual wellness and mood swings often associated with the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle.

In one study, participants who took 250 mg of FenuSmart twice daily for 42 days reported significant improvements in sexual health and mood. Those with the highest baseline scores for sexual dysfunction experienced a 42% reduction in sexual difficulties, and a 40% decrease in irritability.³ Plus, FenuSmart promotes hormonal balance, with in vivo data from the study showing significant increases in estradiol (up 16%), free testosterone (up 23%), and total testosterone levels (up 18%) from baseline values, all without significant changes in progesterone or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause, the time preceding menopause characterized by declining ovarian function, often brings about uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood fluctuations and sexual health challenges — all resulting from shifting hormone levels. FenuSmart offers improvements for these common perimenopausal symptoms, enhancing overall quality of life.

In one study, participants supplementing with FenuSmart for 42 days reported a 26% reduction in vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, and a 32% reduction in low mood.⁴ Plus, FenuSmart was found to support a 17% reduction in vaginal dryness and a 22% reduction in sleep issues.

The 2021 study indicated that these benefits can be attributed to the ingredient’s hormone-balancing properties. FenuSmart was found to increase estradiol (up 19%), free testosterone (up 38%), and progesterone (up 20%), while decreasing FSH by 38% and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) by 21%.⁵

Postmenopause

Once the menstrual period has stopped for 12 consecutive months, postmenopause begins and hormone production of progesterone and estrogen by the ovaries, plummets.

Perhaps the most talked about but not necessarily the most prevalent marker of postmenopausal life is the hot flash. In one clinical study, FenuSmart helped reduce the reported severity of hot flashes by 48% and decreased their frequency to just once or twice daily (down from three to five times daily). Most impressively, 32% of participants reported no hot flashes by the end of the study.⁶

FenuSmart also positively impacted a matrix of other reported postmenopausal challenges, including reduced night sweats (by 53%), less reported mood swings (69%), sleeplessness (71%), low mood (49%), irritability (76%), nervousness (60%) and headaches (46%). Additionally, FenuSmart has demonstrated benefits for vaginal health and, in this study, decreased vaginal dryness by 56%.⁷ Together, these improvements not only alleviate discomfort but also boost libido, enhancing intimacy, and improve a woman’s quality of life during postmenopause.

In addition to the unwanted symptoms that often define postmenopause, declines in estrogen levels during this time are linked to diminishing bone, muscle, and vascular health. The good news is that FenuSmart has been shown to restore hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Specifically, researchers found that supplementation increased estradiol by 40%, total testosterone by 39%, and progesterone by 21%.⁸ Plus, participants taking 250 mg of FenuSmart twice daily reported a 7.2-fold reduction in somatic symptoms, like leg and body discomfort, ultimately improving their mobility and daily function.⁹

Finally, as women age, bone loss and anemia become more common. As a result, maintaining healthy calcium and hemoglobin levels becomes increasingly important with age. FenuSmart supplementation has been shown to increase hemoglobin by 9% and serum calcium by 2%, supporting both bone health and increased energy in postmenopausal women.¹⁰

FenuSmart offers a unique, effective and holistic solution for women's hormonal health before, during and after menopause that can easily be integrated into varied formulations — a clinically backed ingredient, specifically for women’s health needs!

References:

1. Women’s Health Report. Nutrition Business Journal. 2023. https://store.newhope.com/collections/reports/products/womens-health-special-report

2. Ibid (Women’s Health Report)

3. Khanna A et al. “Safety and influence of a novel extract of fenugreek on healthy young women: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.” Clinical Phytoscience. 2021;7(63):1-12.

4. Khanna A et al. “Efficacy of a novel extract of fenugreek seeds in alleviating vasomotor symptoms and depression in perimenopausal women: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.” Journal of Food Biochemistry. 2020;44(12):e13507.

5. Ibid (Khanna 2021)

6. Begum SS et al. “A Novel Extract of Fenugreek Husk (FenuSMART™) Alleviates Postmenopausal Symptoms and Helps to Establish the Hormonal Balance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Phytother Res. 2016 Nov;30(11):1775-1784.

7. Thomas JV et al. “Phytoestrogenic effect of fenugreek seed extract helps in ameliorating the leg pain and vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.” PharmaNutrition. 2020;14.

8. Ibid (Thomas)

9. Ibid (Thomas)

10. Ibid (Begum)