Making Sense Of Herbal Menopause Remedies

If you've looked online recently for an herbal menopause remedy you've no doubt found tons of remedies and little information about them. Most brands rely on the prior reputation or familiarity of an herb to make the sale. There seems to be very little tangible information about what to expect in terms of results, and virtually no information about side effects and safety issues when taking herbs.
Since you're putting it in your body, you probably want to know a little bit about how a particular herbal remedy works. Let's investigate that first. Menopause complaints span a wide variety of symptoms involving many parts of the body. What they all have in common is the cause. Menopause related symptoms or complaints are attributable to dropping hormone levels of progesterone and estrogen.
Using herbs to replace dropping estrogen and progesterone
Many of the herbs that are advertised as helpful for relief of menopause complaints are essentially herb sources of estrogens. They have been called phytoestrogens (plant-estrogens) by the scientific community. By restoring dropping estrogen levels with plant like estrogens, menopause symptoms are relieved. Some common herbs (and foods) that contain phytoestrogens are red clover, soy, flaxseed and Siberian rhubarb root extract.
Alternately, some herbs contain a progesterone like molecule. The one that stands out is wild Mexican yam. Wild Mexican yam contains a substance diosgenin, which is very similar to progesterone. Different medical researchers argue in both directions-that the human body can, and cannot convert diosgenin into progesterone. So the reported benefits of wild Mexican yam may be due to its direct effect on human tissues. Or it may be due to the fact that it is converted bio-chemically by the body into progesterone, thereby restoring optimal progesterone levels as they drop during perimenopause.
Other menopause herbal remedies-Chasteberry
Other herbs and nutrients frequently used for relief of menopause related complaints don't fall into either of the above categories. That is, they don't mimic the activity of either estrogen or progesterone, yet can have beneficial effects. One example is vitex or chasteberry. This herb has been used more for relief of premenstrual complaints, and particularly for relief of breast pain associated with monthly cycling. How chasteberry achieves its benefit is not fully understood, but it has been shown to change levels of prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that regulates milk production in the breast.
Black Cohosh
Another herb that is commonly used by menopausal women is black cohosh. It was initially thought that black cohosh contained phytoestrogens. This has been refuted by recent research that suggests that black cohosh impacts serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter that is sometimes referred to as the "tranquilizing" brain neurotransmitter. Many popular prescriptive anti-depressants (the SSRI's) work by influencing serotonin levels in the brain. Research suggests that black cohosh may have some benefit for osteoporosis. Research also suggests that black cohosh has no benefit for relief of menopause related hot flashes.
St. John's Wort
Another herb that finds its way into herbal menopause remedies is St. John's Wort. The herb has a well deserved reputation for helping to relieve mild depression. Since depression may be associated with premenopause and menopause, some manufacturers of menopause herbal remedies include it in combination formula's. How St. John's Wort works is not clearly understood. It is believed to benefit brain levels of serotonin in the same way as some prescriptive anti-depressants (the SSRI's) such as Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and Prozac.
Other issues with herbal menopause remedies
There are a number of other issues to be considered with regard to herbal menopause remedies. Herbs are effective because of specific active ingredients within the plant. These active ingredients can vary depending on where the plant is grown, the growth conditions, when the herb is harvested, etc. A quality herbal product monitors the level of active ingredients in the herb. The bottle label should refer to "standardized" levels of key ingredients in the herbs used. Herb purity is another important issue. Herbs harvested overseas can be contaminated with toxins, including bacteria, heavy metals or pollutants. A quality herbal manufacturer tests any and all ingredients used for contaminants. Finally, before taking any herbal product, you should be clear on what side effects to expect. Some herbs tend to have side effects while others do not. If you are taking an herb that may produce side effects, it is important to know what they are. If you experience them, you want to be able to recognize that they are due to the herb you are taking, so that you can stop.
For more information on menopause herbal remedies including which remedies work the best for relief of specific menopause complaints, the side effects of some menopause herbal remedies, issues of herb quality and purity, and more please visit http://herbalmenopauseremedy.com/

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How to Eliminate Perimenopause Bloating With Natural Remedies

I used to be able to eat anything. I'm not kidding. I never got indigestion, bloating or any other type of digestive problem. And then, out of the blue, I started getting bloated. First, it was only when I ate pasta, or drank too much coffee. Eventually, I was bloated all the time. Sometimes I would feel like I was going to explode. Like there was someone blowing up a balloon inside my stomach.
Causes of perimenopause bloating are generally related to hormone imbalance, but they can range from food intolerance to a decline in digestive function. A decline in function happens naturally as you age, but we modern humans have been on a quest to see how fast we can ruin our digestive systems for a hundred years or so.
This may come as a surprise, but we don't eat real food anymore. Let's take whole grains, for example. You've probably read over and over about the need to consume more whole grains if you want to be healthy, right?
What most people don't know is that grains need to be sprouted before cooking for maximum health. You need to soak them in order to neutralize the phytic acid that is present. Phytic acid interferes with absorption of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. In addition, grains contain enzyme inhibitors, which neutralize the enzymes in your digestive tract. Sprouting grains before cooking also increases the amount of Vitamin C, some B vitamins and carotene.
And let's be clear about what a whole grain is or isn't. Whole wheat pasta is NOT a whole grain. Whole wheat muffins or breads or pancakes are not whole grains. Whole grains include brown rice, millet, couscous, quinoa. Not instant versions, but the ones you actually have to cook.
So we spend years and years eating overly processed food that contains pesticides, genetically modified ingredients, grown in soil that has very few nutrients, and is usually full of rancid vegetable oils and/or some form of fructose, and we wonder why we end up with digestive problems.
Steps to Reduce or Eliminate Perimenopause Bloating
If you know there are foods that increase bloating for you, try to reduce or eliminate them. I know this is hard to do, but it is a foolproof way to reduce perimenopause bloating. It took me years to do this, even though I hated the bloating. I kept thinking that my body had never reacted to these foods before, so why should I change my diet now? Needless to say, that didn't work very well.
Use herbs to help balance out your hormones. Black cohosh, dong quai, wild yam, and vitex (chaste berry) are all hormone-balancing herbs. Or you could try some bioidentical progesterone.
Use herbs to help your digestion and/or reduce stress. Stress is extremely hard on your digestive system. Digestive herbs include gentian, dandelion, ginger and peppermint. There are many herbs for stress. My favorites are scullcap, vervain and motherwort.
Learn about fermented foods. Learn how to make them and eat them. Your digestive system will thank you. When your digestion is working well, you will not only be without symptoms like perimenopasuse bloating, but you will gain energy as well.
Candice Hughes is the founder of the Natural Approaches to Menopause website, a resource for women who want to go through menopause using natural remedies. Candice studied herbal medicine at the Pacific School for Herbal Medicine. For more information about perimenopause bloating and natural remedies, visit http://www.natural-approaches-to-menopause.com/perimenopause-bloating.html

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Do Natural Hot Flashes Remedies Really Work?

Hot flashes and night sweats are bothersome to debilitating, and can dominate a woman's life throughout perimenopause and postmenopause. They are one of the most common menopause related complaints, affecting 80-85% of American women who transition through menopause. An easy solution in the past has been hormone replacement therapy, which very effectively reduces hot flashes and sweats by 94%, according to researchers. However, over the past couple years researchers have found more and more risks associated with hrt. As a result both the women seeking relief from menopause related complaints and their doctors are unwilling to put themselves at risk, even for relief of life disrupting menopause complaints. With no effective alternatives available through the medical profession, women are left on their own to figure out what to do to get relief.
Turning to the internet, today's quick source for information (and misinformation) women usually try one remedy, then another, based on snippets of information or testimonials used to advertise different products. Typically one will try the most familiar herb or remedy that you happen to come across. We tend to attribute value and safety to something we are familiar with, even if that is not the case. Unable to spend the time and focus required to investigate and identify what is the best product available, we tend to go with the flow.
But what are the facts when it comes to natural hot flash remedies?
There are many natural hot flash remedies available on the market. To try and make sense of them all, I'll divide them into two groups-phytoestrogens and non-phytoestrogens. I will only discuss phytoestrogens here, since they tend to relieve menopause related complaints, particularly hot flashes more effectively than non-phytoestrogens. So let me begin by explaining what phytoestrogens are. Phytoestrogen means literally "plant"-"estrogen". But before going any further with plant estrogens, lets look at human estrogen. Our human body manufactures three estrogens, three variations on a theme if you will. The molecules look very similar, with slight variations. However, these variations are significant enough to change the effects of each of these estrogens somewhat.
Plants too, make molecules that look like human estrogen, but which are not the same as what is made in the human body. Considering all of the different plants found in nature, it makes sense that plants would not all manufacture the same "plant estrogen" or phytoestrogen. And in fact that is the case. There are many different estrogen like molecules found in nature, created by many different plants. We call edible medicinal plants herbs. And so we look to different herbs as sources for these phytoestrogens which have beneficial or medicinal qualities with regard to menopause complaints.
These many different phytoestrogens, each being unique, have different effects in our human body. Generally speaking, phytoestrogens are much weaker than human estrogens in their estrogenic activity. One researcher has ventured that most phytoestrogens have about 1/1000th the estrogenic effect of human estrogens. Because each of these plant estrogens is unique, each can have its own unique side effects. But generally, not being as potent as human estrogen, the side effects are usually less as well.
Which herbs really work for relieving hot flashes and night sweats
Let's go directly to some of the research on the ability of specific herbs to reduce hot flashes. Isoflavones are found primarily in beans, including soy beans. They have weak estrogenic activity in humans. Women receiving 60 mg of isoflavones daily for 12 weeks saw their hot flushes reduced 57% and night sweats reduced 43%. Another study way was reported in the Maturitas: Journal of Climacteric and Postmenopause. The study investigated the benefits of soy for relief of hot flashes in a group of fifty-eight women with an average age of fifty-four. In six weeks the women reported a 40% reduction in all menopause related complaints, including hot flushes and night sweats.
Red clover is an herb that is commonly used by women seeking relief of hot flashes. While red clover has demonstrated benefit with regard to maintaining bone density, at least one study reported at the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine found no benefit for relief of hot flashes. In the study women complaining of hot flashes were given either hormone replacement therapy, red clover, black cohosh or a placebo. To participate the 89 women had to have reported thirty-five or more hot flashes and night sweats each week. Those receiving the hormone replacement therapy reported the greatest benefit, with 94% reduction of flushes and sweats. Surprisingly for the researchers, the next greatest benefit was shown by the placebo, with 63% reduction. This was followed by a 57% reduction in complaints for red clover, and trailing in last place was black cohosh which according to the women, reduced their hot flushes and sweats by just 34%.
These results were not very promising, since red clover and black cohosh are two of the most commonly used herbal products in the United States for relief of hot flushes and night sweats. Fortunately there is another contender which has been shown in separate research to significantly relieve hot flashes and night sweats. It is Siberian rhubarb root extract, which while only recently available in the United States, has been used by European women for some time. A study published in the journal Menopause compared the benefits of this rhubarb root extract with ultra-low dose hormone replacement therapy. Researchers found that this extract (called ERr 731 by the researchers) reduced hot flashes and night sweats in perimenopausal women by 72%. Better yet, Siberian rhubarb root extract was reported to relief virtually all menopause related complaints including insomnia, anxiety and irritability, vaginal dryness, aches and pains, urinary incontinence and more.
For more information on Siberian rhubarb root extract and natural hot flashes remedies please visit http://herbalmenopauseremedy.com/


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Menopause Supplements - Natural Remedies For Effective Menopause Relief

Ladies, if you could find menopause supplements with natural ingredients and reasonable price, would you try it? Of course you would.The term menopause actually means 'the end of menstruation' and it does end eventually; but until then, you are stuck with the side effects brought on by the depletion of the hormones that regulate the menses.
Until you go 12 months straight without one single drop of blood, it is not over.
The levels of estrogen and progesterone that went up during puberty to prepare women to be mothers are gradually decreased until they are no longer produced at all by the body.
It is this removal that causes the body to react so violently. It does not accept this change lightly. To the body, this lowering of the levels is not natural and it struggles to adjust to the imbalance.
Menopause could mean taking a HRT for 12 to15 years or more. For many who experience an early onset of menopause in their mid to late thirties, this can seem like an eternity. Then there are even younger women who have had their ovaries removed and go straight into menopause.
The symptoms of menopause can be overwhelming and can really put a damper on the enjoyment women get out from living. The hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings are just the beginning.
Women experience a wide range of health issues, such as:
migraine headachesirregular periodsinsomniadepressionanxietyjoint pain.
Then there are the health risks such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, which are a part of aging that is aggravated or increased because of the hormone dip during menopause.
Medical science does offer hormone replacement therapy and it works for controlling most of the symptoms of menopause.
For some women however, the cost has been great indeed. Breast cancer is on the rise in women who are taking synthetic hormone replacements. That is why finding menopause supplements with natural ingredient relief is important.
An all-natural supplement helps to reduce potential health risks and gives you potent relief of all of the major symptoms of the change of life.
Along with the menopause supplements with natural ingredients, a woman must make a few lifestyle changes as well.
To combat the increasing 'muffin top', more exercise should be scheduled.A healthy diet rich in foods with phytoestrogens can also help to ease you through the days of upheaval.You can take menopause supplements with natural ingredients to help build a solid health foundation as well as to reduce symptoms.
With quality menopause supplement of natural formula, there really is no need to have one more hot flash or spend another night soaking the sheets from night sweats.
Ruolan is an advocate and researcher on the benefits of all natural supplements for menopausal symptoms. Visit her website to learn well-researched facts and her honest reviews on menopause supplements on the market.
http://supplements-for-menopause-symptoms.com/

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The Best Natural Perimenopause Supplements And Remedies

Natural perimenopause remedies fall into two categories, those that promote overall health and longevity, and those that relieve perimenopause specific complaints. I will start with the general health remedies and follow that with herbal remedies for perimenopause complaints.Our bodies in perimenopause need optimal nutrition to function well. Most women, with busy lives and no time to study or research nutritional issues, end up popping a one-a-day multiple vitamin mineral and trust that it is providing them with what they need. It is certainly understandable. Unfortunately, a one-a-day while perhaps insuring against deficiency diseases like scurvy, pellagra and beri-beri does not provide the nutrients we need for a vibrant, energetic and long life. Most one-a-day's are certainly better than nothing at all, but our goal here is health and vitality through old age, not just prevention of the classic vitamin deficiency diseases.
Why one-a-day multiple's don't make it
Why doesn't a one-a-day do it? One-a-day's generally do contain the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for the major vitamins and minerals. Most do not contain additional anti-oxidants, nor trace minerals or essential fatty acids. You cannot fit everything a 40+ woman needs into one tablet daily. Nutrition supplement manufacturers would have you believe so, but you simply cannot. This is true even for one-a-day's which purportedly focuses on the nutritional needs of 40+ women.
A good 40+ woman's multiple vitamin mineral should contain more than 100% of the RDA for vitamins and minerals. It should also contain anti-oxidants, trace minerals and phyto-nutrients too. Phyto-nutrients are plant based molecules with a multitude of health benefits, over and above their anti-oxidant benefit. Resveratrol is an example of one such phyto-nutrient that is recommended for 40+ women. Optimal nutrition for 40+ women in perimenopause requires taking a multiple that not only has the above groups of nutrients, but has them in adequate quantities to actually have a positive impact on health. Phytonutrients for instance, do not have RDA's. Supplement manufacturers take advantage of this fact with misleading statements. A brand will distinguish itself saying that it contains resveratrol for instance. Looking closer at the label one finds that it contains just 3 mg of resveratrol per tablet. Yet to effectively get the benefits of resveratrol, one should take something near 20 mg of resveratrol daily.
Look too at the quality of the nutrients in your multiple. Often my patients bring in their supplements and I check the ingredients on the label. A brand will advertise for instance that it contains "calcium for bone health". The RDA for calcium is 1000 mg per day for women aged 19-50 and 1200 mg for women aged 51-70. (Many nutrition companies will use cheaper ingredients, to bring the price of the product down. Since most people tend to buy the cheapest bottle on the shelf, they do so to sell their product.)
The cheapest form of calcium is calcium carbonate, found in shells, limestone and chalk. Calcium carbonate is poorly absorbed by many older women for lack of adequate stomach acid. Calcium citrate is a more expensive form of calcium which is better absorbed in low acid conditions is therefore advisable. Multiples with calcium citrate cost more, but the benefit outweighs the cost.
To summarize then, a high quality multiple vitamin mineral is an essential part of any perimenopause health strategy. But it must contain adequate quantities of all vitamins and minerals, of anti-oxidants and trace minerals, and even phytonutrients. In practical terms, what this means is spending upwards of $1 per day and taking a least 3 tablets daily. You would do best to buy your multiple from a health food store or an alternative health practitioner who is educated in nutrition.
Herbal menopause remedies
The second part of a natural health strategy for perimenopause addresses the specific complaints of perimenopause. These are varied and different for all women. The most common initial complaints of women entering perimenopause is erratic menstrual periods and hot flashes. Other complaints include sweats, vaginal thinning and dryness, irritability and anxiety, insomnia, urinary control problems, aching and stiffness in joints, to name a few. While these complaints are varied and involve the entire body, there is a common thread among them. They are all effects of lowered production of estrogen and progesterone.
Restoring the levels of these two hormones gives profound relief of these perimenopause complaints. Consider hot flashes and night sweats for example. Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to reduce hot flashes by 94%. The problem is that conventional medical hormone replacement is fraught with risks. So much risk in fact, that medical doctors are now reluctant to prescribe it for relief of menopause related complaints. But there is an alternative in what are called phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are plant molecules that have a weak estrogen effect in the human body. The effect is so weak that they pose no health risk. Yet some of these plant estrogens have been shown to relieve perimenopause complaints attributable to low estrogen. One in particular, has been reported in the prestigious medical journal Menopause. The second part of a perimenopause natural health strategy is one of the phytoestrogen containing herbs.

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