Because hormones say a lot about women's health, menopause is often perceived as a daunting stage for most women. Relationship crises, irritability and mood swings, weight gain, spontaneous hot flashes and sweating, fatigue and insomnia, memory loss, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, loss of interest in sexuality, and vaginal dryness are among the conditions that accompany this hormonal deficit. Faced with such a wide range of physical and psychological repercussions, it can seem difficult to develop a positive outlook on menopause. However, nature, being what it is, generous and benevolent, offers us significant hormonal alternatives that will moderate this transitional period.
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
Black cohosh is one of the first herbs discussed in books when discussing menopause. Its effectiveness is supported by an abundance of scientifically valid studies and clinical evidence. It is far ahead in the race for improving menopausal symptoms and seriously rivals hormone replacement therapy, in addition to being free of side effects. Black cohosh therefore deserves special attention.
Science has not yet determined which molecule is responsible for its therapeutic action. Some authors mention formononetin, which offers an estrogenic similarity, while others suspect triterpene glycosides, which demonstrate a modulating action on the pituitary gland. Its daily consumption would therefore partially compensate for the hormonal deficit and improve the clinical picture in general; hot flashes, vaginal dryness, unstable mood and night sweats.
Although black cohosh acts similarly to estrogen, it is noted that it behaves intelligently. It demonstrates an almost exceptional compatibility for estrogen receptors of healthy cells, with a preference for beta cell receptors not found in breast tissue. Black cohosh therefore has a specific tropism and is completely safe for people predisposed to breast cancer. Black cohosh also does not appear to stimulate uterine tissue. Its action is more focused on estrogen receptors found in the brain and bones, thereby supporting cognitive health and bone density. Wise and normalizing, it will be both active and protective.
Regarding its action on hot flashes, one hypothesis, which is tending to be more and more validated, mentions a serotonergic action of the plant (vasoconstriction). This action is held responsible for balancing body temperature, reducing anxiety, while promoting good mood and better sleep! During surgical menopause, black cohosh represents a very good option to reduce the hormonal drop and depression that follows the removal of the ovaries. However, there is no need to wait for menopause to benefit from the good care of black cohosh. Its hormonal and antispasmodic action also helps to relax abdominal cramps and pain related to endometriosis. Black cohosh generally improves uterine blood circulation. It is thought that it could also promote a rise in libido.
Actein, another important molecule found in this plant, plays a hypotensive and calming role, making black cohosh a wise choice for reducing hypertension and heart palpitations that often accompany menopause.
You don't need to be very patient to feel the benefits. It only takes four weeks to start feeling the effects, which is not much when treating an endocrine condition. Unfortunately, its benefits won't last forever, but they will give many people a good break!
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
This plant is another major asset for an organism in search of efficiency! Rich in its isoflavones and its nutritional abundance, it will make a difference on a daily basis. Isoflavones are a molecular family demonstrating specific hormonal affinities. They are said to be mimetics, in the sense that they adopt the same behavior as our precious hormones. Thus, red clover is an estrogenically interesting plant! A cup of red clover infusion contains, in fact, ten times more phytoestrogens than a cup of soy, the food most frequently cited as a source of isoflavones. The advantage of clover is that it does not contain any imposing molecules, so it will act gently... like a breath of freshness that menopausal women will appreciate!
Like black cohosh, red clover will compensate for hormonal deficiencies while protecting healthy cells and organs. Its consumption does not cause any malignant proliferation in the endometrium, ovaries, or breast tissue. Its true mode of action is not yet known. Clover does not appear to directly influence hormonal secretions; however, the comfort it provides is evidence of its positive influence on the body.
Deeply nourishing, clover will never exhaust those who consume it! On the contrary, it gradually and significantly energizes. An alkaline plant, it will harmonize the pH in order to maintain optimal enzymatic activities. It cleanses the blood and lymphatic systems
without overloading, directly supporting the body in its hormonal recycling and elimination but also in situations of weakness or vulnerability. With it, we conserve our strength. Clover is a reference plant to limit the loss of bone density which also accompanies menopause.
Vitex / Chaste tree (Vitex agnus castus)
Flavonoids, glycosides, and unsaturated fatty acids are the key players in this majestic plant. Together, they modulate the secretion of luteinizing hormone, an essential precursor to progesterone synthesis. The latter is essential for hormonal health and helps regulate the proliferative work of estrogen. Hormonal balance is a game that requires two players! Progesterone is ideal for menstrual irregularities, fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, depression, nervous irritability, breast cancer, low libido, insomnia, migraines, bloating, and weight gain. Here, vitex will fill the gaps while curbing excesses! However, with this plant, you have to let time do its work. "All things come to those who wait" is the perfect adage when it comes to vitex. It requires perseverance (up to 3 months) but the benefits it brings are incomparable to any other plant. It is said to be progressively educational!
Through its progesterone-promoting action, vitex promotes favorable bone dynamics and healthy tissue renewal. Vitex thus prevents the development of osteoporosis and osteopenia. In addition, vitex plays an inhibitory role on aldosterone, thereby discouraging water retention, swelling, breast congestion, and high blood pressure.
It is worth noting that vitex is most effective in the premenopausal period and loses its effectiveness in the postmenopausal period. This is because the cells sensitive to its action become much fewer in number and much less sensitive to its work. It should then be replaced by its colleague, lady's mantle.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
This wonderful plant is a guarantee of health for women, their hearts, their nerves... and those around them, by the same token! Motherwort is an excellent transitional plant, in between, when hormones and the nervous system seem to be in conflict of direction! It is recommended to regulate menstrual cycles that are too frequent or too distant, to restore nerves to exhausted women and to keep their vaginal tissue healthy. Motherwort is not specifically hormonal but it promotes what is healthy in the gynecological sphere. It will sensitize the hormonal receptors when necessary. Supporting the adrenal glands, it will support their action in stress management and hormonal recovery. Finally,
Motherwort encourages the return of libido when it has been absent for too long. In addition, its nervous-reproductive combination makes motherwort a specialist in combating insomnia, depression, irritability and mood swings that often accompany this period.
The plant's alkaloids are vasodilators, so motherwort promotes better uterine and blood circulation. As its name suggests, it has a particular affinity with the cardiovascular system. It strengthens the heart by improving its irrigation and oxygenation. A tonic, motherwort will balance coronary and nervous functions such as palpitations, shortness of breath, heart failure, and arrhythmia. In addition, studies highlight that it stabilizes the sensitivity of blood vessels to estrogen fluctuations, which greatly contributes to restoring blood pressure when it is too high. Consequently, motherwort will improve hot flashes and night sweats of menopause. It will greatly help to contain them when they become too long, too strong, and/or too frequent.
This plant definitely offers what you need to feel good for longer!
Siberian rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum) (ERr 731)
A rising star in recent years, Siberian rhubarb root demonstrates a highly interesting profile for alleviating the heat of menopause and improving the quality of life of many women. Recent data also mentions a positive and rapid impact on non-cycle bleeding. When menopause is slow to officially set in, Siberian rhubarb becomes an ally to consider.
Its effectiveness is such that it even competes with the results obtained during hormone replacement therapy, with the advantage of being completely safe. It takes an average of 28 days to feel the benefits. The improvements are not limited to uncomfortable heats and indecisive cycles, but also include anxiety, irritability, physical and mental fatigue, sleep disorders, recurrent urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness as well as muscle and joint pain. Moreover, all of these factors would be alleviated by 70 to 83% in the majority of users. In addition, some clinical data highlight that the consumption of Siberian rhubarb would reduce heats to an average of three per day compared to thirteen with the placebo (1).
Although its arrival on the North American market is recent, Siberian rhubarb has several years (since 1993) of clinical use in Europe without any mention of reported side effects. Like the other plants presented, Siberian rhubarb does not contain estrogens per se, but a molecule called rhaponticin demonstrating an affinity with beta estrogen receptors. The latter are recognized for their non-
proliferator on cells, offering a safe approach for women with a predisposition to various hormone-dependent cancers.
(1) Kaszkin-Bettag M, Ventskovsky BM, Solskyy S, et al. Confirmation of the efficacy of ERr 731 in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms. Altern Ther Health Med. 2009;15(1):24-34.
Ultimately…
Little messengers with a majestic impact on our entire body, our hormones represent an essential determinant for our overall health. At once promoters, triggers, builders, and inhibitors, estrogens and progesterone are at the very heart of our internal dynamics. Since hormones are likely to act everywhere, menopause is not a stage without repercussions! Here, anything that can encourage and extend the hormonal honeymoon becomes a major asset for both physical and psychological well-being. Medicinal plants, with their nutritional and therapeutic compounds, represent part of the solution that many women would benefit from considering. With their use, we emerge enhanced and advantaged! There is no doubt that, in light of current knowledge surrounding plant molecules, hormonal health represents less and less of a challenge but rather a state that has no age!
To contact the author
veroniquebourbeau@yahoo.ca, ND.A, Phy.d, Herb.clin
All the information contained in this article is not intended to replace justified allopathic treatment or to override the expertise of the medical profession. It is up to each individual to take charge of their own health, to inform themselves, and to make the necessary changes to improve their condition. Therapeutic supervision by a qualified health professional is strongly recommended.
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