Home |  Elder Rights |  Health |  Pension Watch |  Rural Aging |  Armed Conflict |  Aging Watch at the UN  

Mission  |  Contact Us  |  Internships  |  Donate Now!  

back

You've heard that tempeh, black cohosh, and other unfamiliar edibles and herbs can fight the effects of menopause. 

But do they really work? And are they safe? 

The 41,000-member American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has just issued guidelines for doctors trying to answer those questions. 

Many menopausal women, the organization says, shy away from supplementing their ebbing estrogen with conventional hormone replacement therapy. Although hormone therapy has both short- and long-term benefits, including relieving hot flashes and protecting bone density, it can have bothersome side effects and may increase the risk of breast cancer. Besides, some women don't want to treat "the change of life" as a medical problem.

 
Experts from the organization reviewed the limited, sometimes-conflicting research on the most popular "alternative" medicines for menopause. These herbs and plant extracts are contained - alone or in combination with other ingredients - in countless pills, powders, oils, teas and other so-called dietary supplements. 

The bottom line, the experts found, is that three alternative therapies - soy and other isoflavones, St.-John's-wort, and black cohosh - have so far shown benefits in treating menopausal symptoms: 

Isoflavones. These plant estrogens are found in beans, particularly soybeans, which are most often eaten in products such as tempeh, tofu, and miso. Generally, a gram of soy protein yields about 1.5 milligrams of isoflavones. 

High isoflavone intake - about 50 grams of soy protein a day - may relieve hot flashes and help vaginal dryness. Taken over the long term, it also may have good effects on cholesterol and bones. 

Some studies suggest that isoflavones extracted and made into powders and pills may be as good as those in foods. But processing may remove the biologically active forms, even from foods such as soy milk. 

It is not known whether plant estrogens may be harmful to women with estrogen-dependent breast cancers. 

St.-John's-wort. Studies have shown improvement for mild to moderate depression when this herb was given in doses of less than 1.2 milligrams a day. (A recent study showed that it was not effective in treating severe depression.) It increases skin sensitivity to the sun and may interfere with prescription antidepressants. 

Black cohosh. Germany's top-selling menopausal herbal remedy, this extract may be helpful to treat hot flashes, sleep disorders and anxiety. It seems to be extremely safe, although studies have been small and brief, none longer than six months. 

Chasteberry. Also known as monk's pepper, Indian spice, sage tree hemp, and tree wild pepper, it may inhibit prolactin, a natural hormone that acts on the breast. It is touted for breast pain and premenstrual syndrome. Studies in menopausal women are skimpy. A study of women with premenstrual syndrome found they reported improvements in mood, anger, headache and breast fullness, but not bloating and other symptoms. 

Evening primrose. This plant produces seeds rich in gamma-linolenic acid, which some experts believe is the nutritionally perfect fatty acid for humans. Although evening-primrose capsules are taken for breast pain, bladder symptoms and menopausal symptoms, there is little or no evidence that they work. The one high-quality study of effects on hot flashes found that evening primrose was no better than a placebo. 

Dong quai. A study aimed at reducing hot flashes found dong quai was no better than a placebo - although the 4.5-gram dose used in the study was lower than that typically given in Chinese medicine. The herb is potentially toxic. It contains compounds that can thin the blood, causing excessive bleeding, and make the skin more sensitive to sun, possibly increasing skin-cancer risk. 

Valerian root. This has traditionally been used as a tranquilizer and sleeping aid. But the U.S. Pharmacopeia, which sets manufacturing standards for medicines, does not support its use, and there have been reports of heart problems and delirium attributed to sudden withdrawal from valerian. 

Ginseng. Most of the many types of ginseng (including Siberian, Korean, American, white and red), are promoted for relieving stress and boosting immunity. A study of menopausal women by the leading ginseng manufacturer found the product did not relieve hot flashes but did improve women's sense of well-being. Analyses of ginseng products have found a troubling lack of quality control: some contained little or no ginseng, were heavily adulterated with caffeine, or were tainted by pesticides or lead.