Menopause

Daily, millions of women worldwide experience the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Such unpleasant symptoms includes hot flashes, irregular vaginal bleeding, vaginal itching, dryness, pain, night sweats, weight gain and urinary problems. Since these symptoms can be inconvenient, menopausal  women are searching for solutions that can reduce their suffering. However, it is a fact of life that all women would go through this stage. There are alternatives offered by western medicine such as patches or hormone replacement therapy but have adverse effects. In fact, a report in Daily Mail of London reported that as many as 40%  of English women used herbal products for menopause.

There are many types of herbal products for menopause available today. Normally, such products have ginseng, black cohosh, red clover, St.John’s wort and soy. A great reason behind the shift to such alternative options is  the spreading scare about HRT. Some studies even link the use of HRT to ovarian and breast cancers that made women afraid of such methods. However, it pays to be cautious in the use of such herbal products for menopause since there are studies questioning the efficiency of such herbal products for menopause.

Nevertheless, some herbal products for menopause can alleviate unwanted symptoms as suggested by the American College of Obstetricians ( ACOG ). There are two determined ingredients considered safe as herbal products for menopause. The first ingredient is Soy and Isoflavones. When Isoflavones are taken in high levels like 50mg of soy protein, it can help reduce hot flashes and night sweats. Plus, soy products have calcium which is good for delaying osteoporosis. However, do not take doses which is more than required since too much estrogen can also be bad for a woman.

Another popular ingredient in herbal products for menopause is St.John’s wort. Actually, this ingredient is normally used for treating mild to moderate depression. However, it is not good to use for severe depression. Plus there’s a side effect too like photosensitivity so going outdoors maybe a bad idea when taking this herb. It does not also mix well with some medications prescribed by doctors.

Herbal products for menopause can be a solution for women who want natural relief. However, it is good to seek a health professional.