Question explored with the scientific record
Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables
The short version: these two small studies suggest avocado/soybean extracts may help symptoms, but neither proves it, and neither looks at long-term safety.
The strongest evidence here is a 2014 open-label study of 23 women with vulvar lichen sclerosus [1]. It was not randomized, had no control group, and was run at a single center [1]. Still, about 12 of 17 women with symptoms reached a 75% improvement in symptoms, and 13 of 18 reached that mark for signs [1]. Itching, burning, and pain with sex all improved significantly [1]. No side effects were attributed to the products [1]. That is a real signal, but an uncontrolled one. Without a comparison group, you cannot know how much would have improved on their own or with standard treatment.
The other study is in dogs, not humans [2]. It found that avocado/soybean unsaponifiables raised TGF-beta levels in joint fluid over three months [2]. That is a laboratory marker, not proof of any clinical benefit. It tells you something about a possible mechanism, but nothing about whether people feel better.
Neither study was funded by a manufacturer, as far as these records show. But neither was designed to catch harms. The human study followed 23 women for 24 weeks [1]. That is too small and too short to detect rare or long-term problems. No one has compared these extracts against a true placebo in a blinded trial here.
| Outcome | Result |
|---|---|
| Symptom improvement (75% or more) | 12 of 17 women [1] |
| Sign improvement (75% or more) | 13 of 18 women [1] |
| Side effects | None reported in 23 women [1] |
| Human trial design | Open-label, no control group [1] |
My call: the evidence is suggestive but weak. These extracts may help symptoms of vulvar lichen sclerosus, but no controlled trial proves it, and long-term safety is unknown. Confidence: low.
Sources used 2
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Avocado and soybean extracts as active principles in the treatment of mild‐to‐moderate vulvar lichen sclerosus: results of efficacy and tolerability
A single-centre, open-label cohort study evaluating avocado and soybean extracts (ASE) in a topical cream and dietary supplement for mild-to-moderate vulvar lichen sclerosus, showing significant improvements in symptoms and signs with good tolerability in 23 women.
DOI: 10.1111/jdv.12617 -
Treatment with Unsaponifiable Extracts of Avocado and Soybean Increases TGF-.BETA.1 and TGF-.BETA.2 Levels in Canine Joint Fluid
This study investigates the effects of avocado and soya unsaponifiables (ASU) on the levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) isoforms in the knee joint fluid of a canine model, demonstrating that ASU treatment increases TGF-β 1 and TGF-β 2 levels over a three-month period.
DOI: 10.1620/tjem.211.181