Hot flashes not eased by pomegranate oil, study finds

(CBS) Hot flashes are often the most unpleasant symptom for women going through menopause. These sudden onsets of heat can occur up to several times a day and interrupt sleep, so it's no surprise that menopausal women try all sorts of treatments to get rid of them - including the popular alternative remedy, pomegranate seed oil. But a new study finds that pomegranate seed oil won't actually help to cool hot flashes.

PICTURES - Embarrassed? 13 intimate questions women ask doctors

For the study - published in the Jan 11. issue of Menopause - researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, followed 81 postmenopausal women ages 45 to 60 for 12 weeks. The women, who had been experiencing at least five hot flashes per day for one year, received two daily doses of either pomegranate seed oil or a placebo for 12 weeks.

What did the researchers find? Women who took pomegranate seed oil had an average of a 39 percent drop in hot flashes, while those who took the placebo had an average of a 26 percent drop. Researchers said this difference of 13 percent was too small to represent a significant benefit in pomegranate seed oil, and could have been due to chance. Women who took pomegranate seed oil did report having better sleep than those who took the placebo.

Because both sets of women saw an improvement, researchers say it was likely due to the "placebo effect" in both groups.

If pomegranate seed oil doesn't work, what does? Lifestyle modifications such as regular exercise, weight loss and drinking fewer caffeinated beverages can help cut down on hot flashes, Dr. Silvina Lewis, geriatrics specialist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, told Reuters Health.

Menopause symptoms may last five or more years, and vary from woman to woman.

WebMD has more on menopause.