Botanical Treatments for Menopause

Black Cohosh:

Black Cohosh has been found to have estrogenic-stimulating properties and is used to treat premenstrual discomfort, painful periods and menopausal symptoms. The most consistent finding, however, is the reduction of hot flashes during menopause.

Soy:

Some studies provide an advantage of taking soy to reduce hot flashes.

Red Clover:

Like soy, some research studies have shown postmenopausal women to report both reduction in the frequency of hot flashes as well as a reduction in the severity of their hot flashes.

Kava:

Kava has been widely used as a treatment for anxiety in Europe and more recently been found effective in treating perimenopausal anxiety in the United States. In a recent study a greater reduction in anxiety was found in women taking calcium and kava as compared to women taking calcium alone.

St. John's Wort:

St. John's wort is used as a treatment for depression. In a recent study, women using a combination of St. John's wort and black cohosh reported a greater decrease in menopausal symptoms.

Green Tea Extracts:

Green tea extracts are purported to have strong antioxidant and anti-cancer activity. They may also have positive effects on lipid levels, especially in those with already elevated cholesterol levels.

Dong Quai:

Dong quai has traditionally been used by herbalists in Asian countries for relief of skipped periods, painful periods, and menopausal symptoms.

Valerian Root:

Valerian root has been used successfully to treat sleep disturbances such as insomnia and early awakening in menopausal women.

Flaxseed:

Flaxseed has been shown to alleviate mild menopausal symptoms. It has presumed health benefits for the prevention of cancer and lowering of lipid levels.

Ginkgo Biloba:

Ginkgo biloba has been used to treat Alzheimer's disease, age-related dementias, poor cerebral blood flow, and premenstrual syndrome. It's cognition enhancing properties may be particularly useful in menopausal women with frequent complaints of difficulties in memory and concentration.

Ginseng:

Ginseng may also have implications for elevating the perceived quality of life in postmenopausal women. In one study, postmenopausal women reported improvement in levels of depression, well-being, and health while taking ginseng.