If you are interested in using herbs to help with your menopausal symptoms, this does not mean that self-medication shouldn't be attempted and won't be successful. However, you need to appreciate that treatment sometimes has to be more accurately tailored to suit the individual.
As a rule of thumb, if your symptoms are relatively mild, you might find something off the shelf of your health food shop, but the more complicated and severe your presentation, the more likely it is that you will need more expert advice from your herbalist who will be able to formulate a more specific remedy for your symptom profile. That visiting a herbalist for menopausal symptom management can be helpful was shown by a small study published in 2007. This demonstrated that treatment by qualified herbal practitioners reduced troublesome menopausal symptoms across a wide range of presentations (1). This piece of research is available freely on line. Check it out, if you are interested - the reference is at the end of this blog.
There are of course some very helpful general pieces of advice for assisting you through the menopause – eat healthily - being the first and foremost. Obvious, I know, but oft ignored. Your diet should include a wide variety of vegetables and fruit preferably of different colours, to give you a wide range of active constituents such as antioxidants, flavanoids etc. (Take care with too much fruit, however, as this can bump up your sugar levels). Include small amounts of high quality protein including oily fish in your diet and avoid processed foods, refined sugars and carbohydrates . You have heard it all before. A healthy diet is not rocket science, it just takes some (easily obtainable) knowledge, common sense, will-power and a determination to change. It might be hard to achieve in practice, but believe me if you manage to do it, you will never regret it!
In the long term, a good diet has immeasurable health benefits, and is something well worth establishing now to help with those health problems that may assail you later in life. This becomes more important post-menopause as apart from the other effects of aging, your hormones during your fertile years provide a bulwark against health problems like heart disease and some inflammatory conditions. As our hormone levels decline we can become more susceptible to these. Never underestimate the power of food as medicine.
As for foods more specific for the menopause, the abundance of easily found dietary advice needs no rehearsal here. For example, include lots of nuts, seeds, legumes, foods rich in fibre, lignans and phyto-oestrogens in your daily diet. This can really help with managing your symptoms, by balancing your hormones. You might try 'menopause cake' (there are quite a few recipes on the internet). This is a good tasty way of incorporating a lot of these foods into your daily regime – it can be literally - a piece of cake.
Limit your alcohol intake. You need to be especially kind to your liver at this time in your life, as it can help you balance those fluctuating hormone levels. I think I can safely say that when faced with patients with severe hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms, most herbalists will include a 'liver' herb in their prescriptions – I favour dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) a great herb for supporting the liver in its vital work. Schizandra (Schizandra chinensis) is a more exotic alternative, but also an excellent liver herb as well as a nerve tonic, so two hits in one herb.
If stress makes you reach for the wine, why not try herbs instead? Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and Siberian gingseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) for example, although there are many including Passionflower, Valerian and St John's Wort. Skullcap is a good general nerve tonic and mild sedative that can help with anxiety, irritability and some insomnia. Siberian ginseng is a great adaptogen – a herb that helps the body adapt to stress, I find this has particular affinity for women, but there are other adaptogenic herbs – Schizandra, for example that you might try. Remember, it is often true that if you control your stress levels then other symptoms, such as hot flushes might well diminish as these are often exacerbated by emotional upset.
As stress can affect the adrenal glands and the adrenals help with hormonal balance (all things are interdependent) we often find that they also need a helping hand during the menopause Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) can be used here - it also has phyto-oestrogenic effects, so provides a hormone balancing action. However, this is one that needs professional advice, for example it is contra-indicated if you have high blood pressure and has to be used carefully, especially long term.
Aside from herbs for general support, there is a huge variety of herbs that have hormone-like effects hat can be used to manage hot flushes, vaginal dryness, low libido and that emotional roller-coaster that accompanies what we should never forget is actually a very natural change of life.
Amongst the well known ones are Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) - often very helpful for hot flushes and other symptoms, especially when associated with stress and emotional factors. You will need to be careful with dosage with this herb and it may be contra-indicated for some, so definitely take advice before using it.
Garden sage (Salvia officinalis) is not only good for stuffing your turkey, but can also help with hot sweats too. It can be very effective as a simple tea of 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage leaves infused in a cup of boiling water and taken three times daily Sage may also be combined with other herbs such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) if endogenous oestrogen levels are low, as part of a more wide-acting preparation. Moreover, Sage is said to enhance the memory and concentration is also a good tonic for the nervous system, so might help with that occasional menopausal 'woolly headedness'. Due to its thujone content it is not recommended at high doses or over a long period of time. It does have some important contra-indications that will affect a few people, so check it out to see that it is right for you.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is a pretty native wayside flower and ishigh in phyto-oestrogens, which mean that it is often included in menopause preparations to help the body adjust more gradually to declining levels of oestrogens .Also, if you have skin problems, such as acne or acne roseaea that are associated with your menopause, then this might be a good choice as its blood cleansing properties can help with these conditions as well. Marigold (Calendula officinale) also contains some phyto-ostrogens and may help with vaginal dryness, both topically used in a herbal pessary and/or taken as tincture or tea. It is also a great herb for skin problems and poor digestion.
Chaste berry or Vitex (Vitex agnus castus) is a good all round hormonal balancer that can work very well for some people. It does need a little bit of skill in its use and I often prescribe it on its own in drop doses. Peri-menopausally it can be used to regulate menstrual cycles and I sometimes use it to help with very heavy periods that can sometimes accompany this phase of life. It is contra-indicated with other hormonal preparations such as the pill and HRT and one I think best left to the professional herbalist.
A herb I have recently used more frequently with patients is the Ayurvedic herb Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus). I have found this helpful for dealing with many menopausal symptoms, where hormonal balancing is needed and it can be useful for hot flushing and night sweats. This has the reputation of being able to help with low libido, where there is a hormonal cause, although bear in mind that this can be a very complex area for women as so many factors can influence this very important aspect of our lives. that is sometimes sadly overlooked or dismissed as being an effect of age. If enjoyment of your sex life is
, but it may be worth a try as its ayurvedic name attests to its reputation as it means 'she of a thousand husbands
We cannot stop the menopause, but we should focus on making it as healthy and as undisruptive to our normal lives as possible, diet is a factor, as are life-style changes like reducing stress and taking more exercise and herbs, used expertly and wisely may certainly help to assuage some of the less pleasant side-effects of this special time of a women's life.
References
Green, J. et al. (2007) Treatment of menopausal symptoms by qualified herbal practitioners: a prospective randomised controlled trial. Family Practice 24(5) pp.468-74.
This information is meant for educational purposes only and not intended as a guide to self-treatment. You should always seek professional advice. Remember that herbs can interact with other drugs and may be contra-indicated if you have certain medical conditions, are pregnant or lactating. Take care when using wild plants or herbs, that you have the correct species from a reliable source.