Herbs for Menopause

“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 Medicines

What are herbal medicines?

DotS the definition of herbal medicines may vary. In Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Herbal Medicines the World Health Organization’s definition is:

“Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products, that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations”.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) (now the Menopause Society) 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

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”.9

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use herbs for menopause?

In Herbal Medicines the (United Kingdom) 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”.10

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”.11

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Herbs for Menopause?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Herbs for Menopause?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

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  9. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
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  23. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  24. Herbsociety.org [Herb Society of America]
  25. Herbal Medicines
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  27. Hot Flashes
  28. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
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  34. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
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  36. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Treating Menopause Symptoms [Other Languages and Formats] [+ Video: Does the Menopause Happen Suddenly?]
  37. Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
  38. Lots of Women Try Herbs Like Black Cohosh for Menopausal Symptoms Like Hot Flushes – But Does It Work?
  39. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  40. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  41. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Dietary Supplements Useful In Some Situations, But Also Can Be Harmful
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    Herbs for Menopause
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  73. Office of Dietary Supplements
  74. Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
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  76. Phytoestrogens
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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Herbal Medicines. Page Last Reviewed: 18 October 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/ Accessed: 24 January 2025
  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: 24 January 2025
  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: 24 January 2025
  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: 24 January 2025
  5. Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Herbal Medicines. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/traditional-complementary-and-integrative-medicine#tab=tab_1 Accessed: 24 January 2025
  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: 24 January 2025
  7. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended. 2023:2. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/nonhormone-treatment-menonote_f5afc19f-211e-4c1f-8a04-b2d558c6fa66.pdf Accessed: 24 January 2025
  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: 24 January 2025
  9. 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: 24 January 2025
  10. Herbal Medicines. Page Last Reviewed: 18 October 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herbal-medicines/ Accessed: 24 January 2025
  11. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Not Recommended. 2023:2. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/nonhormone-treatment-menonote_f5afc19f-211e-4c1f-8a04-b2d558c6fa66.pdf Accessed: 24 January 2025
Topic Last Updated: 24 January 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 24 January 2025

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