The clinical study: Beeharmony™

The Medex R&D team in cooperation conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial that involved 25 women in the placebo group (completed by 24 people), and 25 in the BeeHarmony group (completed by 22 people). Subjects were aged 45-60 with menopause symptoms. The subjects took 2 capsules per day, 56 days. The process was done under the supervision of a gynecologist.

Criteria: Evaluating symptom severity –completing MRS (Menopause Rating Scale) questionnaires at the beginning, after 1 month, and after 2 months of use.

Menopause is an inevitable event in the life of every woman, occurring on average around the age of 51. However, menopausal symptoms may start appearing much earlier during the perimenopause phase when estrogen levels begin to decline. The decrease in estrogen can cause various health problems even later in life, during the postmenopausal period. At Medex, we have developed an innovative product called BeeHarmony™, which combines the healing power of royal jelly and saffron extract to alleviate menopausal symptoms.

Royal jelly already exhibits hormonal effects in bees as it influences gene expression, leading a larva to develop into a fertile queen instead of a sterile worker bee. Numerous clinical studies have shown that royal jelly also has beneficial effects on hormonal balance in humans. During the reproductive years of women, it helps alleviate premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms (Taavoni et al., 2014). Moreover, during the transition to menopause, it contributes to alleviating menopausal symptoms (Sharif et al., 2019). The hormonal activity of royal jelly is due to its high content of unique short-chain fatty acids (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid or 10-HDA), which bind with low affinity to estrogen receptors beta. In the case of estrogen deficiency (menopause), it simulates estrogen's action and alleviates symptoms caused by its deficiency. Conversely, in cases of excess estrogen (PMS), it blocks its binding to these receptors and thus mitigates symptoms related to excessive estrogen levels.

Similarly, saffron extract also has beneficial effects on various aspects of hormonal balance. The most effective form is the standardized extract from saffron stigmas (the orange-red thread-like structures in the flower), which contributes to relieving PMS symptoms, reducing depression, improving sleep, and increasing libido (Hosseini et al., 2007; Pachikian et al., 2021; Kashani et al., 2013, 2016).

With BeeHarmony, containing standardized royal jelly and saffron stigma extract, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. We included 50 women between the ages of 45 and 60 with menopausal symptoms in the study. They took 2 capsules daily for two months and reported the intensity of eleven of the most common menopausal symptoms each month using the internationally recognized MRS questionnaire, under the supervision of a gynecologist. After two months of intake, the test group experienced a reduction in the intensity of symptoms ranging from 53 to 79%. The most significant reductions were observed in depression, physical and mental exhaustion, and vaginal dryness (70-79% reduction), followed by a decrease in rapid heartbeat, irritability, anxiety, sexual and bladder problems (60-69% reduction), as well as hot flashes, sweating, insomnia, joint, and muscle issues (50-59% reduction). BeeHarmony™ capsules proved to be an effective natural aid in alleviating menopausal symptoms.