In-depth Study of Herbs Used in Menopause

Menopause means cessation of menstrual cycles in women. There are many types of issues related to menopause that can have adverse effect on the health of a woman. Thus, it is very necessary that a woman takes utmost care of herself when she enters menopause.

Some herbs are said to have proved useful in preventing the symptoms associated with menopause and this is the reason why there are very commonly used. Most common symptoms of menopause are night sweats, depression, mood swing and hot flashes.

Herbs that are used for treating menopause are said to regulate the level of estrogen in the body of female. It is due to this hormone only that a woman has to undergo different phases of menopause.

Herbs that are used during the menopause can be broadly divided into two categories. These are non-estrogenic herbs and estrogenic herbs. Estrogenic herbs contain estrogen while non-estrogenic herbs do not contain these chemical substances. Herbs pertaining to any of these are equally important in preventing displeasures of menopause.

Black cohosh is an herb that is widely used in menopause. It is said that due to this herb, disorders like hot flashes and cramps can easily be prevented during the menopause. This herb is also said to be effective in congestion.

Gingko biloba is also used very widely for decreasing the fatigue, which becomes very common with menopause. This herb also fights with depression and memory loss, two other symptoms of menopause. For treatment of night sweats, sage is considered as important. It is equally effective in hot flashes also. Wild yam is used for its anti-inflammatory action that may cause arthritis during the menopause.

Of late, it is being debated if these herbs are really helpful in fighting the symptoms of menopause. Even many studies have been conducted for knowing the efficacy of these herbs. Some studies have shown that these herbs may not by as effective in menopause as they are thought.

For example, for the treatment of hot flashes and night sweats, black cohosh was not found effective. Similarly, wild yam may offer relief in some cases as it does not reduce the depression in females or increase the bone mass density. Dong qui, another herb that is used widely during menopause, was found ineffective for balancing the hormonal changes.

Thus, it is very necessary that before consuming any type of herb, a person consults some natural science expert or a naturopath. One herb may not be effective for all types of symptoms and thus, combination of herbs may become necessary for fighting the symptoms of menopause.