Key Takeaway
Daily 800mg enzyme-treated royal jelly for 12 weeks significantly reduced anxiety and low back pain in postmenopausal Japanese women compared to placebo.
Summary
Double-blind placebo-controlled RCT in 42 healthy Japanese postmenopausal women (mean age ~55) randomized to 800 mg/day of protease-digested lyophilized royal jelly powder or a dextrin placebo for 12 weeks. Menopausal symptoms were assessed every 4 weeks using a standardized questionnaire covering physical and psychological domains.
The enzyme-treated royal jelly group showed significantly greater improvement than placebo in backache/low back pain and anxiety scores after 12 weeks. No serious adverse events were reported, and compliance was high. The authors proposed that royal jelly's phytoestrogen-like activity and mild anti-inflammatory effects may underlie the symptomatic relief.
Though sample size was small, this trial is frequently cited as mechanistic evidence that royal jelly can meaningfully modulate menopausal symptoms at a modest dose. It supports a targeted role for royal jelly in postmenopausal women with musculoskeletal and mood-related complaints.