Get $5 off $25+ with SAVE5

FIND A STORE NEAR YOU

Clinical white paper

Peri/Menopause Essentials: formulation and evidence review

A formulation and evidence summary for healthcare professionals and informed readers.

By Matt Crane, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer · Last reviewed July 2026

PDF · 4 pages Read the full white paper (PDF) Open the complete formulation and evidence review

Executive summary

Peri/Menopause Essentials is a three-compound formula designed around the physiological changes that accompany the menopause transition. Red clover isoflavones support the transition itself, while olive and bergamot polyphenols extend the design toward cardiometabolic and healthy-aging pathways.

The cited literature includes systematic reviews, epidemiology, mechanistic receptor research, and randomized interventions on isoflavones and polyphenols. Semaine's own registered study was open-label and observational. It adds finished-formula experience but does not replace placebo-controlled evidence.

Formulation rationale

Why these three polyphenol sources

The paper treats menopause as a whole-body transition. Declining estrogen is accompanied by changes in vasomotor experience, metabolic markers, cardiovascular risk, and bone turnover. The design therefore connects immediate transition support with compounds studied in longer-horizon cardiometabolic and bone contexts.

Red clover supplies four isoflavones, including biochanin A and formononetin, with preferential affinity for estrogen receptor beta described in the literature. The dose provides 50 mg of standardized isoflavones, close to the amount used in a randomized bone-density study. Olive extract adds hydroxytyrosol-rich polyphenols that are less abundant in a typical US diet. Bergamot phytosome supplies a bioavailability-focused citrus polyphenol fraction studied in metabolic contexts.

Formula at a glance

IngredientForm / amountRole in the formula
Red clover extract 250 mg standardized to 20% isoflavones Four isoflavones selected for menopause-transition and bone-health research
Olive fruit extract 50 mg Opextan, double-standardized polyphenols Cardiovascular, brain, and healthy-aging support
Bergamot 100 mg phytosome providing 40 mg polyphenolic fraction Bioavailability-focused support for cardiometabolic pathways

See current product facts

Published literature

The evidence base

Twenty-nine references build the case from the menopause perspective through ingredient selection. The evidence is not uniform: some sources describe population associations, some test mechanisms, and others evaluate interventions.

  • The menopause transitionEpidemiology and clinical reviews

    Rosano, Zhang, Carr, Lejsková, and Maas document changes in cardiovascular and metabolic risk through menopause. This supports designing beyond a single symptom pathway.

  • Isoflavones and transition experienceSystematic review and human studies

    Chen reviews isoflavone supplementation in menopausal women, while the North American Menopause Society report evaluates the broader clinical record. These sources shaped the choice and dose of red clover.

  • Selective receptor activityMechanistic research and safety reviews

    Kuiper describes preferential interaction with estrogen receptor beta. Setchell and Fritz examine benefits, risks, and safety, which matters when translating phytoestrogen biology into a long-term formula.

  • Bone-health contextRandomized trials and meta-analysis

    Atkinson and Clifton-Bligh tested red clover isoflavones, and Lambert pooled isoflavone formulations in peri- and postmenopausal women. These studies support the formula's healthy-aging rationale without implying treatment of bone disease.

  • Olive polyphenolsEpidemiology and randomized intervention

    Filip tested an olive polyphenol extract over 12 months, while Guasch-Ferré examined olive oil and mortality in US adults. The pair connects a controlled intervention with dietary-pattern evidence.

  • Bergamot polyphenolsSystematic review

    Lamiquiz-Moneo reviews human studies on bergamot and lipid profiles. The phytosome format was selected to improve exposure to compounds rarely consumed in US diets.

Finished-formula evidence

Our own study

In a third-party observational open-label study of 42 women aged 40 to 57 over three months, participants completed the validated Menopause Rating Scale monthly. At the three-month endpoint, 93% reported improvement in hair quality, sexual satisfaction, physical and mental exhaustion, and brain fog; 90% reported improvement in hot flashes, night sweats, and irritability; and 88% reported improvement in anxiety. Severity of every reported symptom significantly decreased (p<0.001).

Count-based results showed a 69% reduction in hot flashes per day and an 80% reduction in nighttime sweats. The open-label design and absence of a placebo group mean these are participant-reported changes over time, not proof of a controlled effect.

Funding disclosure: This study was independently conducted by Citrus Labs and funded by Semaine.

See the full study design, results, and limitations

Full references

  1. Rosano GMC, et al. Menopause and cardiovascular disease. Climacteric. 2007;10 Suppl 1:19-24.Review
  2. Zhang Y. Cardiovascular diseases in American women. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010;20:386-393.Review
  3. Wang Y, Wang QJ. Prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among US adults. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:2126-2134.Epidemiology
  4. Long AN, Dagogo-Jack S. Comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension. J Clin Hypertens. 2011;13:244-251.Review
  5. Lejsková M, et al. Menopause and population changes in insulin resistance. Climacteric. 2011;14:83-91.Observational
  6. Maas AHEM, Franke HR. Women's health in menopause with a focus on hypertension. Neth Heart J. 2009;17:68-72.Review
  7. Ji MX, Yu Q. Primary osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Chronic Dis Transl Med. 2015;1:9-13.Review
  8. Carr MC. Emergence of metabolic syndrome with menopause. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88:2404-2411.Review
  9. Sowers M, et al. Insulin resistance and hormone interactions in premenopausal and perimenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88:4904-4910.Observational
  10. Chen LR, et al. Isoflavone supplements for menopausal women: systematic review. Nutrients. 2019;11.Systematic review
  11. Fritz H, et al. Soy, red clover, isoflavones, and breast cancer: systematic review. PLoS One. 2013;8:e81968.Systematic review
  12. Powles TJ, et al. Red clover isoflavones in women with a family history of breast cancer. Menopause Int. 2008;14:6-12.Human safety
  13. Sathyapalan T, et al. Soy isoflavones and cardiovascular risk markers in early menopause. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018;28:691-697.Human clinical
  14. Nestel P. Isoflavones and cardiovascular risk and functions. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2003;14:3-8.Review
  15. Terzic MM, et al. Red clover-derived isoflavones and serum lipid profile. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2009;35:1091-1095.Human clinical
  16. Hannan MT, et al. Risk factors for longitudinal bone loss. J Bone Miner Res. 2000;15:710-720.Cohort study
  17. Atkinson C, et al. Phytoestrogen isoflavones and bone density: randomized placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79:326-333.Randomized trial
  18. Clifton-Bligh PB, et al. Red clover isoflavones, lipid and bone metabolism. Menopause. 2001;8:259-265.Randomized trial
  19. North American Menopause Society. Role of soy isoflavones in menopausal health. Menopause. 2011;18:732-753.Society report
  20. Kuiper GG, et al. Phytoestrogen interaction with estrogen receptor beta. Endocrinology. 1998;139:4252-4263.Mechanistic
  21. Setchell KD. Soy isoflavones as selective estrogen receptor modulators. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001;20:354S-362S.Review
  22. Lambert MNT, et al. Isoflavone formulations and bone resorption: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;106:801-811.Meta-analysis
  23. Lefèvre-Arbogast S, et al. Polyphenol intake and long-term dementia risk. Neurology. 2018;90:e1979-e1988.Cohort study
  24. Filik L, Ozyilkan O. Olive-oil consumption and cancer risk. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003;57:191.Epidemiology
  25. Filip R, et al. Olive polyphenol extract in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. J Nutr Health Aging. 2015;19:77-86.Randomized trial
  26. Gorzynik-Debicka M, et al. Olive oil and plant polyphenols. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19.Review
  27. Guasch-Ferré M, et al. Olive oil and total and cause-specific mortality in US adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79:101-112.Cohort study
  28. Lamiquiz-Moneo I, et al. Bergamot and lipid profile in humans: systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60:3133-3143.Systematic review
  29. Salehi B, et al. Naringenin: review of clinical trials. Pharmaceuticals. 2019;12.Review
Read the full white paper (PDF)View the clinical evidenceSee current product facts

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Your Cart
Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout