Last checked September 2026 against 12 sources · Editorial policy
Bonafide review
Bonafide's hot flash supplement, Relizen, is a hormone-free Swedish flower pollen extract. A 2024 meta-analysis found hot flashes improved from baseline across pollen extract studies, but when only controlled studies were pooled the benefit was no longer significant, suggesting much of it may be placebo effect. It had no significant side effects. Relizen costs $58 for a single box, or $33 to $42 a month on subscription (checked September 2026).
Bonafide's Relizen is a hormone-free pollen extract for hot flashes. What trials and a 2024 meta-analysis found, safety, and prices from $33 a month (checked September 2026).
Bonafide for hot flashes: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“Relizen is clinically proven to stop hot flashes without hormones”
What the evidence shows
Relizen is hormone-free and appears safe, and one small randomized trial of a similar pollen extract found fewer hot flashes than placebo. But an independent meta-analysis found the benefit disappeared when only controlled studies were pooled. The company says results take about 3 months, so it's a slow and uncertain option.
Bonafide Relizen review: ingredients, trials and safety
What's in Bonafide Relizen
Relizen contains a proprietary purified cytoplasmic blend of Swedish flower pollen extract (Sérélys), made from the pollen of four Swedish botanicals. The dose is two tablets once a day, with or without food. Bonafide says its products are free of hormones, parabens, soy and gluten, and that Relizen contains no phytoestrogens.
Bonafide Relizen for hot flashes: the evidence
A 2024 meta-analysis in the journal Menopause included one randomized trial and four observational studies with 420 women. Across all studies, hot flash, night disturbance and depression scores fell from baseline at 3 months. But when controlled studies were pooled, results weren't statistically significant, so the authors said the improvements may have been due to the placebo effect.
Learn more →The randomized trials of pollen extract
In a 2005 Danish trial of Femal, a pollen extract remedy, 54 of 64 menopausal women completed 3 months of treatment. Hot flashes fell in 65% of women on the extract compared with 38% on placebo, and diary counts dropped by 27% more. A 2024 Italian trial in breast cancer survivors had 19 women on a pollen extract and 20 on placebo.
How long does Relizen take to work?
Bonafide says Relizen takes time and recommends taking it every day for at least 3 months, with the best results at month three and beyond. The company says 1 in 2 women get hot flash relief by month two. In the 2005 trial, hot flashes fell by 23% after 2 months and 22% after 3 months.
Relizen after breast cancer
Pollen extract is marketed as hormone-free, and a small 2024 trial in breast cancer survivors found fewer hot flashes after 3 months with the extract and good tolerability. The trial was very small. Women with a history of breast cancer should check any supplement with their oncology team; SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentin and fezolinetant are proven non-hormonal options.
Learn more →Bonafide side effects and safety
The 2024 meta-analysis found pollen extract use wasn't associated with significant adverse effects. Bonafide says side effects in its trials were no different from placebo. Supplements aren't FDA-approved for safety or effectiveness before they're sold, and a registered facility isn't the same as an approved product.
Other Bonafide products
Bonafide also sells Thermella, a curcumin-based hot flash supplement, and Revaree and Revaree Plus, hormone-free hyaluronic acid inserts for vaginal dryness, and offers Revaree Plus as an add-on to Relizen subscriptions. Vaginal estrogen is the standard treatment for vaginal dryness from menopause. Bonafide products aren't covered by traditional insurance, but some HSA or FSA cards may cover part or all of the cost.
Learn more →Bonafide Relizen by the numbers
From the studies on this page
of women had fewer hot flashes with pollen extract vs placebo in a 2005 trial
65% vs 38%
$58
420
3 months
Only one of the five studies in the meta-analysis was a randomized controlled trial.
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Bonafide Relizen vs other menopause options
Bonafide Relizen (pollen extract)
Good for
Hormone-free; no significant side effects in studies.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Benefit not significant when controlled studies were pooled; about 3 months to work.Estroven Complete
Learn more →Good for
Hormone-free; one randomized trial showed fewer hot flashes from week 4.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Evidence mainly from one research group.Amberen
Learn more →Good for
Hormone-free; placebo-controlled trials in menopause and perimenopause.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Company-linked research only.Prescription non-hormonal treatment
Learn more →Good for
Recommended by NAMS for hot flashes.Watch
Need a prescription.
Before you buy Bonafide Relizen
- Plan for at least 3 months of daily use before deciding whether it works.
- Compare plans: the 6-month plan is $198 paid every six months, the 3-month plan $114 paid quarterly (checked September 2026).
- Check whether your HSA or FSA card covers it.
- Cancel the subscription if you see no change after the trial period.
When to see a doctor instead of relying on Bonafide
Bonafide menopause supplements: questions women ask
Does Bonafide Relizen work for hot flashes?
Evidence is mixed. One small trial of a pollen extract found fewer hot flashes than placebo, but a 2024 meta-analysis found no significant benefit when controlled studies were pooled.
What is in Bonafide Relizen?
A purified Swedish flower pollen extract (Sérélys) from four botanicals, taken as two tablets a day. It contains no hormones, soy or phytoestrogens, according to Bonafide.
How much does Bonafide Relizen cost?
A single box costs $58. Subscriptions cost $42 a month monthly, $38 a month on a 3-month plan, or $33 a month on a 6-month plan (checked September 2026).
How long does it take for Relizen to work?
Bonafide recommends at least 3 months of daily use and says the best results come at month three and beyond.
Is Bonafide safe?
The 2024 meta-analysis found pollen extract wasn't associated with significant adverse effects. Supplements aren't FDA-approved before sale.
Is Relizen safe after breast cancer?
A 2024 trial in 39 breast cancer survivors found it well tolerated, but that's a very small study. Talk to your oncology team first.
Is Bonafide covered by insurance?
Bonafide says its products aren't covered by traditional insurance, but some HSA or FSA cards may cover part or all of the cost.
Sources
- Bonafide. Relizen product page (checked September 2026).
- Acquarulo EL, Hernandez EC, Kodzodziku F, et al. The efficacy of purified pollen extract for reducing vasomotor symptoms in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause. 2024;31(2):154-159.
- Winther K, Rein E, Hedman C. Femal, a herbal remedy made from pollen extracts, reduces hot flushes and improves quality of life in menopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study. Climacteric. 2005;8(2):162-70.
- Bounous VE, Cipullo I, D'Alonzo M, et al. A prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial on purified and specific Cytoplasmic pollen extract for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2024;40(1):2334796.
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements.
- Bonafide. Revaree vaginal insert product page (checked October 2026).
- NHS. Vaginal dryness.
- Bonafide. Thermella product page (checked October 2026).
- Heger M, Ventskovskiy BM, Borzenko I, et al. Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause. 2006;13(5):744-59.
- Radzinsky VE, Uspenskaya Y, Shulman LP, et al. Succinate-Based Dietary Supplement for Menopausal Symptoms: A Pooled Analysis of Two Identical Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials. Obstet Gynecol Int. 2019;2019:1572196.
- Kachko VA, Shulman LP, Kuznetsova IV, et al. Clinical Evaluation of Effectiveness and Safety of Combined Use of Dietary Supplements Amberen(®) and Smart B(®) in Women with Climacteric Syndrome in Perimenopause. Adv Ther. 2024;41(8):3183-3195.
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