As a young woman I consumed vast amounts of Evening Primrose Oil, maybe you did too. Perhaps you also put a slice of ginger in hot water for pain relief, added more garlic to combat colds or relaxed with a cup of camomile tea. But what next? Are there natural herbs which will help our bodies adjust smoothly to our changes?

There are a lot of very popular herbs for women, but it’s hard to find detailed information about them. Getting hold of fresh herbs depends where you live, of course, but a wide range of packets, pills and pastes is available from any supermarket.

Here are the main herbs you can pick up anywhere. There’s really no data to prove or disprove any of these claims, but there are thousands of women who have found relief from one or other of these herbal preparations. (I use black cohosh).

Popular Herbs

Black Cohosh extract
Surely the most popular, it’s a perennial plant native to North America. Other common names include black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort and rattleroot. Many women report less frequent, and milder, hot flushes/flashes although there is no scientific data to verify any claims.

Wild Yam extract
Wild yam extract contains diosgenin which imitates certain hormones, such as progesterone. There is currently not much in the way of scientific data to support this, evidence is more or less anecdotal. Wild yam extract does have anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxing constituents so it will reduce some pain from menstrual cramps, arthritis, and tense muscles.

Sage extract
Salvia officinalis, a mild phytoestrogen that has similar effects to estrogen, has been used for many years as a natural treatment for hot flushes. Apart from its culinary value, sage has a long history of folk usage (burning sage is an ages-old ritual of purification) for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Salvia officinalis has no known toxicity or carcinogenicity.

Chaste tree berry extract;
It’s thought that this plant contains a component which replaces hormones produced by the body or by plant extracts. Chaste tree fruit preparations act on the pituitary gland to regulate the production of the ovarian hormones. Three thousand years ago, Greek women used chaste tree berry extract to bring on a strong menstrual flow.

What about the safety of herbs?

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before taking natural herbs, vitamins, or any type of dietary supplement.

Before buying any natural herbs for menopause you need to make sure that the products are made at a pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facility. These types of facilities for the manufacture of natural herbs for menopause comply with the most exacting standards to minimise or eliminate the possibility of contaminants in the herbs that are natural.

• Email or call the herbal distributor to find out if they have a Certificate of Analysis confirming the potency of the natural herbs ingredients they list.
• Read the labels to make sure that the natural herbs you buy and use contain only standardised herbal extracts.

Recommended Reading

Common Herbs for Natural Health

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Primavera Women’s Oil with organic essential oils of Ylang ylang, Clary sage and Rose Geranium known to assist the body to regulate estrogen levels. For help during menopause hot flashes.

Tags: herbs, hot flash flush