Royal jelly for management of postmenopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Currently, many postmenopausal women experience symptoms related to the cessation of hormone production, and hormone therapy is the most commonly used treatment to alleviate these symptoms. However, it is contraindicated in several situations, which highlights the importance of alternative therapies such as royal jelly (RJ), particularly given the limited number of studies demonstrating its effectiveness.

To evaluate the effects of RJ supplementation on postmenopausal symptoms in women.

We developed a search strategy using "royal jelly" and "menopause" with their synonyms. Terms were combined using Boolean operators (OR for synonyms, AND between concepts). We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (BVS), Embase (Elsevier), and Cochrane Library through May 2025. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions for postmenopausal symptoms, with outcomes including genitourinary symptoms and quality of life measures.

A total of 281 studies were identified; 262 were excluded. Of the remaining 19, 14 were selected for full-text reading, and 6 studies involving 471 postmenopausal women were included in the final analysis. The studies were published between 2011 and 2021. RJ supplementation significantly improved postmenopausal symptoms compared with placebo (standardized mean difference=0.73; 95% confidence interval=0.50-0.96; P <0.00001; I2 =0%, two studies, 312 participants, moderate-quality evidence).

RJ supplementation may offer a promising nonhormone option for managing menopausal symptoms and supporting bone and genitourinary health, especially for women who cannot or prefer not to use hormone therapy.