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.

Suddenly you have an intense, hot feeling on your face and upper body, often accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and sweating, giddiness, nausea, anxiety, headache, weakness, and, most awfully, a feeling of suffocation.

Some women experience an “aura,” an uneasy feeling just before the hot flash. My mother used to “smell heat”. This is when the arguments for HRT appear. Should you take (chemical or natural) estrogen to alleviate them?

Tips to beat the Hot Flash Flush
Firstly, don’t fight the flush, you have to ride with it. Try to relax if you can.Get help for bad habits. Talk with your healthcare advisor about support for beating smoking.

• Cut down on coffee and strong stimulants.
• Avoid spicy foods
• Eat smaller meals more often to avoid the heat generated by digesting large amounts of food.
• Try adding horseradish to your diet.
• Apple cider vinegar. Some women find relief from a glass each morning with honey
• Fan Get some little hand fans for your purse.
• Keep ice water to sip to cool down your insides
• Carry moist tissues, baby wipes, to freshen up after a flush.
• Carry sprays to help lower your skin temperature
• Open your freezer and stick your head in for a minute.
• Practice deep-breathing and relaxation techniques.
• Dress in layers
• Throw away your turtlenecks and fitted collars
• Wear cotton pajamas or a nightgown. Nighties are easier to change than sheets.
• Use cotton sheets only, not synthetics.
• Take a cool shower before bed.
• Keep a cool gel pack under your pillow at night so that you can turn the pillow over for a cool effect
• Keep a hand towel by your pillow to wipe the perspiration from your neck
• Get a bigger bed if you and your partner are on different heat planets but you still want to stay in close orbit.
• Tell yourself, out loud, that this is a temporary symptom
• Keep your sense of humour

Recommended

Color Me Beautiful Revolution Over 40 Cool It Body Spray to ease tension and hot flashes with a cooling, refreshing mist infused with lavender, geranium and cypress essential oils. Helps you feel cool, calm and collected.

And above all, remember .. Menopause is not a disease, but a natural event!