Amberen

I just started taking amberen 8 days ago and can honestly tell you that I do feel alittle better. Hopefully the longer I take it I should improve nicely!! I will keep you posted on my progress.

Excellent Nicole! I couldn't say it better.

For me, I have no problem with msg, even as a flavor enhancer. But I can understand the concern that people have.

On the second point, I have to point out that Amberen's studies is done in Russia. Perhaps some of you already know this. And the dosage in the studies is slightly different with the commercial product. The blend is the same, just the dosage.

I've made a post about it at my blog, if you guys are interested for a good read.

Hello! Hope you are doing well! MS(L)G, a form of glutamate, is used in Amberen for one specific reason - it is an effective neurotransmitter and it helps “deliver” the rest of the compound. The reason why Amberen scientists chose to use MS(L)G and not glutamate in its pure form is because glutamate is highly bioactive and becomes unstable when mixed with other ingredients. MS(L)G is less acidic than pure glutamate, it is of high pharmaceutical grade, it is more stable than glutamate and it is used in miniscule amounts (40 mg per dose).

Using tiny amounts of this pharmaceutical grade within the context of a clinically tested formulation is very different from the unregulated use of MSG as a flavor enhancer (which requires much larger amounts). Because Amberen uses it in such small amounts, even those allergic to MSG cannot detect it. The miniscule amounts of MS(L)G used in Amberen have never been linked to any side effects. The safety of all ingredients in Amberen is backed by toxicology studies and clinical trials. If you still feel weary about it, please contact the Amberen Customer Service and you can speak with one of the registered nurses. Have a wonderful day!

I am an ND who has looked into this for my practice. I am still unsure. My biggest question is why does it include MSG? I cannot think of any reason for it, and since it has some severe consequences when used as a food additive (for some people) it makes me a little leery. That is just my opinion.

Diana, you've done a great job summarizing Amberen.

I want to add a little though (although you can find it in discussion and etc) that the dosage that they sell commercially is different from the dosage of their product on the clinical trial although the ingredients is still the same. That's why some women opt to increase their Amberen intake when they don't feel the instant relief that it promises.

So yes, I agree. Consult with your physician can be the way to go. Some tips: If you e-mail the company directly then are more than willing to give you the clinical manuscript. Easier to talk to your doctor by bringing it.

Hi, Anon, and welcome to Empowher. Thanks for a great question!

Amberen is still fairly new in the United States; I found one source that said it was developed in Russia and introduced here in 2007. I did find women taking it who were in both menopause and perimenopause, which it sounds like you may be; however, it seems to focus on stronger symptoms of perimenopause, like hot flashes, moodiness, the "fog," etc. And it's a bit pricey, so it may not be what you want for such mild and early symptoms.

Amberen is succinate-based. Here are the ingredients:

Ammonium Succinate
Calcium Disuccinate
Monosodium L-Gluatamate
Glycine
Magnesium Disuccinate Hydrate
Zinc Difumarate Hydrate
Tocepherol Acetate

What's all that mean? I had no idea either. Wikipedia (not my favorite source, but it was helpful here) says that succinate plays a biochemical role in the citric acid cycle, which has to do with the health and energy of our cells and is explained here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

One web site says this: "In clinical trials, Amberen actually reversed all symptoms in perimenopausal women, including regular periods and thickening endometrium, and basically delayed the onset of menopause." I don't know about you, but when any company starts telling me that their product will solve all my problems, just as easy as pie, I get cautious in a hurry.

That said, I'm curious, and interested to keep up with it. Here's one medical study. It's a bit dense to read, but has good information about this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study:

http://www.medline.ru/public/pdf/8_046e.pdf

It's a good study, but it's done on a small sample -- 70 women, with the following breakdown of age: 40-45 years (9 patients), 46-50 years (28), 51-55 years (25), 56-61 years (8). 50 women were assigned to the experimental group and 20 control women were given placebo. It was a 21-day treatment. So you're basically looking at results experienced by 50 women over 3 weeks when on this formulation.

Here's a forum where women are discussing taking it, or whether to take it:

http://www.power-surge.com/php/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t14152.html

And here's a pretty good explainer story about how Amberen functions, with doctors both for and against it for various reasons:

http://www.sanangelolive.com/node/2906

My advice? Watch and wait. If it's good, there will be more studies, more doctors familiar with it, and the quantity and quality of the ingredients will be supervised. But if you're interested personally and don't want to wait to investigate it, print out the info and take it to your doctor -- or a compounding pharmacist -- for her or his opinion.