Appendix 1.

MEDLINE search strategy

1. Menopause [MeSH]

2. Menopause, premature [MeSH]

3. Climacteric [MeSH]

4. Premenopause [MeSH]

5. Perimenopause [MeSH]

6. Postmenopause [MeSH]

7. Vasomotor system [MeSH]

8. Sweating [MeSH]

9. Hot flashes [MeSH]

10. Hot flush$ [tw]

11. OR 1-10

12. Ginseng[MeSH]

13. (Panax ginseng or Panax quinquefolius)

14. (red ginseng or american ginseng).tw.

15. OR/12-14

16. randomized controlled trial [pt]

17. controlled clinical trial [pt]

18. placebo$ [tw]

19. random$ [tw]

20. single-blind method [MeSH]

21. double-blind method [MeSH]

22. prospective studies [MeSH]

23. controlled clinical trial [MeSH]

24. randomized controlled trial [MeSH]

25. clinical trials [MeSH]

26. OR 16-25

27. 11 AND 15 AND 26

28. Animals/not Humans/

29. 27 not 28