A HASLINGDEN mum is among the first women in the country to treat menopause symptoms with a new natural food supplement.

When Zoe Millington, 49, began menopause, symptoms such as hot flushes made her daily routine at work and home a challenge.

Concerned over how Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – the most popular treatment – had affected friends, she decided to try alternatives.

After using red clover and black cohosh without much success she eventually stumbled across an article on food supplement Femarelle in a magazine.

Femarelle is already used in 15 countries and is due to be launched in UK high street chemists this spring.

Bosses describe the product as a complex formula of phytoestrogens, consisting of isoflavones, lignans and coumestans ‘clinically proven to have a beneficial effect upon menopause symptoms’.

Mrs Millington, a doctor’s receptionist, of Wells Street, is now urging women to give it a try.

Zoe, who lives with her husband Neil, 48 and children Jessica, 21 and Nathan, 18, started menopause around 15 months ago.

She said a number of her friends had endured migraines through HRT, which is also linked to an increased risk of breast and womb cancer.

She had wanted to ‘ride out’ the symptoms, but was forced to seek treatment: “I couldn’t think about anything as it was happening, and the flushes came about six times a day.

“You simply cannot sleep because you are so hot. I used to go to bed with a flannel under my pillow to mop my face.”

Isoflavones, derived from soy products, are said by the firm to mimic the effects of oestrogen without stimulating cancer development.

Around 50 UK women have been treated by one doctor with the supplement in the last two years, with at least two thirds of them benefiting, the firm said. However, Dr Tom Smith said: “Every single case is different. You have to bear in mind that the placebo effect can be very strong and you should always check that the product has been tested properly in double-blind, controlled and randomised clinical trials – and always consult your GP.”