Last checked November 2026 against 15 sources · Editorial policy

Relizen vs Thermella: which Bonafide hot flash pill to try

Relizen and Thermella are both hormone-free Bonafide hot flash tablets, taken two a day. Relizen is a Swedish flower pollen extract with published trials but a weak pooled result; it costs $58 a box. Thermella is curcumin, green tea extract and spirulina; Bonafide reports faster relief, but its trials aren't published. Thermella costs $60 and carries rare liver risks that Relizen doesn't.

Relizen vs Thermella side by side: pollen extract vs curcumin, what the trials show, how fast each works, safety and price per month, and who should pick which.

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Relizen vs Thermella side by side

Relizen vs Thermella
	Relizen	Thermella
Active ingredients (per 2 tablets)	Proprietary Swedish flower pollen extract (Sérélys), amount not stated.	Longvida curcumin extract 600 mg, decaffeinated green tea extract 150 mg, spirulina extract 85 mg.
How fast it works, per Bonafide	Best results at month three and beyond; 1 in 2 women get relief by month two.	Starts as early as two weeks; best results by month three.
Published evidence	Randomized trials of pollen extract; a 2024 meta-analysis found no significant benefit once only controlled studies were pooled.	No published trial of Thermella; curcumin alone cut hot flashes in small trials.
Safety	No significant adverse effects in the 2024 meta-analysis.	Bioavailable curcumin and green tea extract have rare liver injury reports.
Price on Bonafide's site	$58 a box; $42 a month on the monthly plan; $33 a month on the 6-month plan.	$60 a box; $45 a month on the monthly plan; $35 a month on the 6-month plan.

Active ingredients (per 2 tablets)
Relizen
Proprietary Swedish flower pollen extract (Sérélys), amount not stated.
Thermella
Longvida curcumin extract 600 mg, decaffeinated green tea extract 150 mg, spirulina extract 85 mg.
How fast it works, per Bonafide
Relizen
Best results at month three and beyond; 1 in 2 women get relief by month two.
Thermella
Starts as early as two weeks; best results by month three.
Published evidence
Relizen
Randomized trials of pollen extract; a 2024 meta-analysis found no significant benefit once only controlled studies were pooled.
Thermella
No published trial of Thermella; curcumin alone cut hot flashes in small trials.
Safety
Relizen
No significant adverse effects in the 2024 meta-analysis.
Thermella
Bioavailable curcumin and green tea extract have rare liver injury reports.
Price on Bonafide's site
Relizen
$58 a box; $42 a month on the monthly plan; $33 a month on the 6-month plan.
Thermella
$60 a box; $45 a month on the monthly plan; $35 a month on the 6-month plan.

Relizen vs Thermella: expectation vs reality

What people often expect

“Thermella is the new, faster version of Relizen, so it must work better”

What the evidence shows

They're different products, not two strengths of one. Relizen has more published research, though the pooled controlled results weren't significant. Thermella's 30% drop in hot flashes by day 14 comes from Bonafide's data on file, not a published paper, so nobody outside the company can check it against placebo.

Relizen vs Thermella: ingredients, evidence and safety

What's in Relizen

Relizen is a purified cytoplasmic blend of Swedish flower pollen extract, sold as Sérélys and made from four Swedish plants, in the forms PI-82 and GC-FEM. The amount isn't stated on the label. You take two tablets once a day, with or without food. Bonafide says it has no hormones or phytoestrogens, which is why it's often chosen by women who avoid soy and estrogen-like herbs.

What's in Thermella

Two Thermella tablets hold 600 mg of Longvida curcumin extract, 150 mg of decaffeinated green tea extract with less than 5 mg of caffeine, and 85 mg of spirulina extract. Bonafide says the blend targets neurokinin B, the same brain pathway as the prescription drug Veozah, but that claim rests on company data rather than published trials of Thermella. Veozah itself went through large trials before FDA approval.

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Relizen evidence: trials and a meta-analysis

In a 2005 Danish trial of a pollen extract, hot flashes fell in 65% of women on the extract versus 38% on placebo over 3 months. A 2024 meta-analysis of one randomized trial and four observational studies with 420 women found symptom scores fell from baseline, but not significantly once only controlled studies were pooled, which points to a placebo effect.

Thermella evidence: what can be checked

Bonafide cites two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials held as data on file, with a 30% average drop in hot flashes and night sweats by day 14. The independent evidence is for curcumin alone: in a 2020 trial of 93 women, curcumin 500 mg twice a day for 8 weeks cut hot flashes more than placebo. That trial didn't use Thermella's exact blend.

Relizen vs Thermella: safety

The 2024 pollen meta-analysis found no significant adverse effects with pollen extract. Thermella's curcumin is a highly absorbed form, and NCCIH says liver damage has been reported in some people taking bioavailable curcumin; green tea extract has rare liver injury reports too. If you've had liver problems or take several medicines, Relizen is the more cautious pick. Turmeric supplements may also be unsafe in pregnancy.

Relizen vs Thermella: price

On Bonafide's site in November 2026, a single box of Relizen costs $58 plus $5 shipping and Thermella $60. On the monthly plan Relizen is $42 and Thermella $45. The 6-month plans bring them to $33 and $35 a month, paid as $198 and $210 up front. Each box holds two tablets a day for a month. Shipping is free on the plans.

Relizen or Thermella after breast cancer

Relizen has a small 2024 Italian trial in breast cancer survivors, with 19 women on pollen extract and 20 on placebo, showing fewer hot flashes and good tolerability. Thermella has no published data in this group. Proven non-hormonal prescriptions exist, and any supplement should be cleared with your oncology team first. The 2023 Menopause Society statement lists those prescriptions among the proven non-hormonal choices.

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Relizen or Thermella: who should pick which

Relizen suits women who want the gentlest option, have liver concerns, take several medicines or have had breast cancer and have their oncologist's approval. Thermella suits women who want to see a change sooner and are comfortable with an unpublished evidence base and a small liver risk. If hot flashes wake you several times a night, neither may be enough, and a prescription is worth discussing.

Relizen vs Thermella by the numbers

From the studies on this page

of women with fewer hot flashes on pollen extract vs placebo in a 2005 trial
65% vs 38%

600 mg

of Longvida curcumin in each daily dose of Thermella

$58 vs $60

for a single box of Relizen vs Thermella on Bonafide's site

2 weeks vs 3 months

when Bonafide says Thermella vs Relizen starts to show results

Bonafide's own results for Thermella are unpublished data on file.

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Relizen, Thermella and other hot flash options

Bonafide Relizen
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Good for
Single pollen ingredient; published trials; no significant side effects; studied after breast cancer.
Watch
Pooled controlled benefit wasn't significant; takes up to 3 months.
Check price on Amazon →
Bonafide Thermella
Learn more →
Good for
Bonafide reports relief from two weeks; curcumin alone helped in small trials.
Watch
Trials unpublished; rare liver injury with bioavailable curcumin and green tea extract.
Check price on Amazon →
Estroven Complete (ERr 731)
Learn more →
Good for
Rhubarb extract with a meta-analysis of 4 trials in 390 women.
Watch
Trials tied to the extract's maker.
Check price on Amazon →
Prescription non-hormonal treatment
Learn more →
Good for
Fezolinetant, SSRIs, SNRIs and gabapentin have large trials for hot flashes.
Watch
Needs a prescription.

Choosing between Relizen and Thermella

Pick Relizen if you want the lower-risk option, or have liver problems.
Pick Thermella only if you're comfortable relying on unpublished company trials.
Buy a single box first; the subscription plans save money only if the product works for you.
Don't take both at once: you won't know which one is working.
If you take nadolol or atorvastatin, ask before Thermella: green tea extract can lower their levels.

When Relizen or Thermella isn't enough

Urgent: Yellow skin, dark urine or nausea on Thermella
Stop it and get liver tests promptly.
Urgent: Bleeding after menopause
Any bleeding a year after your last period needs a doctor's check.
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No change after 3 months
Ask about prescription options rather than switching from one supplement to another.
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Relizen vs Thermella: questions women ask

Which is better, Relizen or Thermella?

On published evidence and safety, Relizen. Its pollen extract has published trials and no significant side effects, though the pooled controlled benefit was small. Thermella may act faster, by Bonafide's account, but its trials aren't published and curcumin plus green tea extract carries rare liver risks.

Can you take Relizen and Thermella together?

Bonafide sells them as separate options, each taken as two tablets once a day, and neither label suggests combining them. Taking both adds cost and makes it impossible to tell which one helps. Try one for three months, then decide.

Which works faster, Relizen or Thermella?

Bonafide says Thermella starts working as early as two weeks and Relizen needs about three months, with 1 in 2 women getting relief by month two. Independent curcumin trials saw effects from week 4. Both should be judged after three months of daily use.

Do Relizen or Thermella cause weight gain?

Neither lists weight gain as a side effect, and the 2024 pollen meta-analysis found no significant adverse effects. Weight change in midlife is common on its own, so track it from before you start if you're worried.

Relizen vs Thermella: which is cheaper?

Relizen, by a few dollars. A single box is $58 against $60 for Thermella, the monthly plans are $42 and $45, and the 6-month plans work out to $33 and $35 a month. Neither is covered by insurance, though HSA or FSA funds may help.

Are Relizen and Thermella hormone-free?

Yes. Neither contains hormones, and Bonafide says Relizen also contains no phytoestrogens. Thermella's ingredients are curcumin, green tea extract and spirulina, none of which is a hormone. That makes both options for women who can't or don't want to take estrogen, after checking with a doctor.

Relizen vs Amberen: which is better?

Amberen is a succinate-based formula tested in two placebo-controlled trials pooled in a 2019 analysis. Relizen's pollen extract has its own trials but a non-significant pooled controlled result. Both are hormone-free and modest at best.

Sources

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