Afinity Yin - Women's Health

Key Benefits:

• May reduce severe and frequent menopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes and /or night sweats).
• To help relieve muscle and joint pain associated with rheumatic conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and/or fibrosis), and of pain associated with neuralgia (such as sciatica).
• To help ease nervous tension (calmative).
• To nourish the heart yin and calm the nerves for relief from insomnia, irritability, and night sweats.

Product Description:

Afinity Yin is a formulation for women’s health, specifically for the multiple symptoms associated with menopause and is a proprietary combination of key ingredients including soy isoflavones, an extract of Ziziphus jujuba seed and other proprietary extracts. Isoflavones are a class of phyto-estrogens, providing a natural alternative to hormone therapy to reduce the vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, namely hot flushes and night sweats.

Acetaea racemosa

Acetaea racemosa is also commonly known as Black Cohosh. It is also referred to as Cimicifug racemosa, Baneberry, Black Snakeroot and Black Aristolochiaceae. Black cohosh was first used for medicinal purposes by Native American Indians, who introduced it to European colonists. Black cohosh became a popular treatment for women’s health issues in Europe in the mid-1950s. Black cohosh is one of the most researched herb for the treatment of hot flushes and mood disturbances in perimenopausal women. A recent clinical trial evaluated dose-related effects of a black cohosh extract treatment for 12 weeks on severity of climacteric complaints in 180 women suffering from menopausal syndrome. Both low and high dose treatments significantly improved vasomotor (hot flushes and sweating), psychological (insomnia, nervousness and depressive events) and somatic symptoms (joint pain) in patients with mild to moderate symptom severity. The treatments were found to be safe and were well tolerated by the women (1). Triterpenes are believed to be the active constituents of black cohosh involved in the thermoregulatory effects. In vitro and in vivo studies investigating mechanisms of action of black cohosh indicate that the triterpenes act on the neurotransmitter system, in particular acting as ligands for serotonin receptors, 5-HT7 and 5-HT1A. Both 5-HT7 and 5-HT1A receptors are found in hypothalamus and are known to be involved in thermoregulation.

Soy Isoflavones

Isoflavones, also known as phytoestrogens, are chemical compounds known to have a weak estrogen like activity. Isoflavones from soy have been reported to provide a number of health benefits, including a reduction of hot flash frequency and severity, promotion of heart health and maintenance of bone-health in post-menopausal women. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 trials revealed that ingestion of soy isoflavones for 6 to 12 weeks was significantly more effective than a placebo in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes(2). In another meta-analysis of 9 trials, soy isoflavone supplementation was found to be associated with significant reduction in body weight, fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels in menopausal women (3). Soy isoflavone supplementation was also demonstrated to increase lumber spine density in another meta-analysis of 11 trials involving 1240 menopausal women (4).
Ziziphus jujuba

Ziziphus jujuba is also commonly known as jujube, red dates, Chinese/Korean/Indian dates or SuanZaoRen (Chinese: 酸枣仁). Seeds of Ziziphus jujuba have been used for thousands of years to help relieve insomnia and anxiety in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Anxiey and insomnia are common health issues in women going through menopause. Ziziphus seed extracts have calming and sedative properties. The extracts containing Ziziphus flavonoids, in particular a C-glycoside flavonoid spinosin, are mainly effective in combatting insomnia. Furthermore; spinosin administration prolongs sodium pentobarbital induced sleep via the serotonergic system5.

Supplement Facts:

Each capsule contains:
Actaea racemosa (Black cohosh) root extract: 33 mg
Soy isoflavone extract: 67 mg
Ziziphus jujuba (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae) seed extract: 167 mg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: Gelatin, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin

Suggested Dose and Usage:

Women (menopausal/ post-menopausal) - Take 3-4 capsules once a day. Take a few hours before or after taking medications or health care products. Consult a health care practitioner for use beyond 1 year. Use for a minimum of 2 weeks to see beneficial effects.

Warnings and Constraindications:

Risk Information

Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are taking blood thinners.
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) including thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Ensure you are up-to-date on mammograms and gynaecological evaluations prior to use.
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have a history of hormonal or gynaecological disease, including ovarian cancer, endometriosis, and or uterine fibroids.
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have a liver disorder or develop symptoms of liver trouble.
Consult a health care practitioner prior if symptoms prsist or worsen.
Discontinue use and consult a health care practitioner if you experience breast pain, discomfort and/or tenderness or if you experience a recurrence of mensuration and or uterine spotting.
Ziziphus jujuba may be associated with drowsiness and sedation, driving and operating heavy machinery, and consumption with alcohol, other medications or natural health products is not recommended.
Consult a TCM practitioner prior to use if you have diarrhea or an exterior condition.
Do not use if you have insomnia caused by excess heat or by hot phlegm accumulation.

Contraindications

Do not use if you currently have or previously had breast cancer and /or breast tumors or if you have a predisposition to breast cancer, as indicated by an abnormal mammogram and/or biopsy, or a family member with breast cancer.
Not recommended for those with known hypersensitivity and/or allergies to any of the ingredients.

References

1Schellenberg R, Saller R, Hess L. et al. 2012. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Article ID 260301.
2Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F. et al. 2012. Menopause, 19(7): 776-90.
3Zhang YB, Chen WH, Guo JJ et.al. 2013. Nutrition, 29(1): 8-14.
4Taku K, Melby MK, Takebayashi J et al., 2010. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr. 19(1): 33-42.
5Wang LE, Cui XY, Cui SY et al. 2010. Phytomedicine, 17(6): 404.