“Herbal medicines are those
with active ingredients made from plant parts,
such as leaves, roots or flowers”.1

Umbrella
What may the Herbs for Menopause Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Botanical Products
  • Botanicals
  • Chinese Medicine
  • Herbal Medicines/Products/Remedies/Supplements/Therapies/Treatments
  • Herbs
  • Medicinal Herbs
  • Phytomedicines
  • Phytotherapy
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Botanical

What is a botanical?

DotS the definition of a botanical may vary. The (United States) Office of Dietary Supplement’s (ODS) definition is:

“A botanical is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal or therapeutic properties, flavor, and/or scent”.2

Herbs

What are herbs?

DotS the definition of herbs may vary. In Botanical Dietary Supplements – Background Information: What Is A Botanical? the ODS’s definition is:

“Herbs are a subset of botanicals”.3

Different Herbs

What are some different herbs?

DotS different herbs may include:

  • Black Cohosh (Actaea Racemosa, Cimicifuga Racemosa)
  • Dong Quai (Angelica Sinensis)
  • Evening Primrose/Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera biennis)
  • Flaxseed/Flaxseed Oil
  • Ginkgo Biloba
  • Ginseng (Panax Ginseng or Panax Quinquefolius)
  • Kava/Kava Kava (Piper Methysticum)
  • Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense)
  • Soy
  • St John’s Wort

Herbal Products

What are herbal products?

DotS the definition of herbal products may vary. The ODS’s definition is:

“Products made from botanicals that are used to maintain or improve health are sometimes called herbal products, botanical products, or phytomedicines”.4

Herbal Medicine

What is herbal medicine?

DotS the definition of herbal medicine may vary. In Herbal Medicines the (United Kingdom’s) NHS’s definition is:

“Herbal medicines are those with active ingredients made from plant parts, such as leaves, roots or flowers”.5

Traditional Chinese Medicine

What is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?

DotS the definition of TCM may vary. In Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know – What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? the (United States) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) explain:

“Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use various mind and body practices (such as acupuncture and tai chi) as well as herbal products to address health problems”.6

Hot Flushes and Night Sweats

Are herbs recommended for the treatment of hot flushes and night sweats or vasomotor symptoms (VMS)?

On page two in Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended, dated 2023, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) explain:


Herbal Medicine“Treatments not recommended for VMS either because there is evidence showing that they do not reduce VMS or because there is not enough evidence showing that they are effective in reducing VMS include acupuncture, paced respirations, supplements/herbal remedies, cooling techniques, avoidance of triggers, dietary modification, exercise, yoga, mindfulness-based intervention, relaxation, suvorexant, cannabinoids, calibration of neural oscillations, chiropractic interventions, clonidine, and pregabalin.

There are many dietary supplements available over the counter and advertised as remedies for relief of hot flashes and night sweats. There are limited studies showing that these supplements are effective at relieving VMS, and there is a lack of government regulation ensuring their safety and purity, so none of these are recommended treatments for hot flashes and night sweats”.7

In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Non-hormonal Options With Evidence To Support Efficacy, published online 01 December 2023, the authors also note:

“Similarly, nutritional supplements and botanicals have not been found to be more effective than placebo for moderately to severely bothersome VMS in robust clinical trials”.8

In Menopause and Natural Therapies Herbs: Over the Counter Herbal Products the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) elaborate on:

“We know that about 13% of Australian women use CAM therapies for managing hot flushes, and that the three most commonly used CAM therapies are phytoestrogens (plant-based female hormones), evening primrose oil and ginseng. We know that these are not necessarily the most effective remedies, and we also know that only about 25% of these women consult an expert for advice about these therapies. Therefore, many women may be making inappropriate – or indeed, ineffective – choices”.9

Safe or Not

Are herbs safe?

In FDA: 101: Dietary Supplements – What Are the Risk of Dietary Supplements? the (United States) Food and Drug Administration caution:

“Before buying or taking a dietary supplement, talk with a health care professional—such as your doctor, nurse, registered dietician, or pharmacist—about the benefits and risks.

Many supplements contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Additionally, some supplements can interact with medications, interfere with lab tests, or have dangerous effects during surgery. Your health care professional can help you decide what supplement, if any, is right for you”.10

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use herbs for menopause?

If you choose to use herbs for menopause it may also be in your best interest to choose to tell all your health care providers you are doing this.

In Menopause and Natural Therapies: Over the Counter Herbal Products the JH elaborate on:

“When buying herbal medicines over the counter, you need to consider some of these factors:

  • The quality and standard of herbal preparations, including those available over the counter and online, can vary considerably
  • Some herbal products can interact with other pharmaceutical therapies, but their labels might not necessarily carry a warning
  • The best way to use herbal remedies is under the guidance of a well-trained herbalist/naturopath”.11

In Herbal Medicines the NHS note:

“If you’re consulting your doctor or pharmacist about health matters, or are about to undergo surgery, always tell them about any herbal medicines you’re taking”.12

On page two in Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended the NAMS explain:

“Despite the lack of evidence supporting their use for VMS, if you plan to use dietary supplements, let your health care professional know so they can ensure they are safe for you, that they don’t interact with any of your medications, and so that they can be appropriately monitored”.13

Health Topics A-Z

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

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Sources

  1. Herbal Medicines. Page Last Reviewed: 18 October 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  2. Botanical Dietary Supplements – Background Information: What Is A Botanical? Updated: 11 December 2020. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BotanicalBackground-Consumer/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  3. Botanical Dietary Supplements – Background Information: What Is A Botanical? Updated: 11 December 2020. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BotanicalBackground-Consumer/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  4. Botanical Dietary Supplements – Background Information: What Is A Botanical? Updated: 11 December 2020. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BotanicalBackground-Consumer/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  5. Herbal Medicines. Page Last Reviewed: 18 October 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  6. Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know – What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Last Updated April 2019. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm Accessed: 08 February 2024
  7. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended. 2023:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/nonhormone-treatment-menonote.pdf Accessed: 08 February 2024
  8. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Non-hormonal Options With Evidence To Support Efficacy Published Online: 01 December 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 08 February 2024
  9. Menopause and Natural Therapies: Over the Counter Herbal Products. Page Last Updated: 19 January 2024 | Topic Last Reviewed: 20 November 2018. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-herbs Accessed: 08 February 2024
  10. FDA 101: Dietary Supplements – What Are the Risks of Dietary Supplements. Content Current As of: 02 June 2022. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-101-dietary-supplements Accessed: 08 February 2024
  11. Menopause and Natural Therapies: Over the Counter Herbal Products. Page Last Updated: 19 January 2024 | Topic Last Reviewed: 20 November 2018. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-herbs Accessed: 08 February 2024
  12. Herbal Medicines. Page Last Reviewed: 18 October 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/ Accessed: 08 February 2024
  13. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended. 2023:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/nonhormone-treatment-menonote.pdf Accessed: 08 February 2024
Topic Last Updated: 16 February 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 08 February 2024

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