Welcome to part 10 of the ODX Menopause Series. This post reviews the specific effects and potential side effects of herbal therapies used to address some of the common symptoms of menopause.
|
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Effects |
Side Effects |
|
Actaea racemosa |
Black cohosh |
Treatment of menopause symptoms such as hot flash, insomnia, irritability, but also musculoskeletal pain, fever, cough. |
Gastrointestinal discomfort. |
|
Evening Primrose Oil |
Oenothera biennis oil |
Treatment for menopausal and premenstrual symptoms, but also for atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. |
Gastrointestinal disorders and interaction with antiepilectic drugs. |
|
Foeniculum vulgare |
Fennel |
Treatment of hot flashes, anxiety, and vaginal atrophy. |
No side effects reported. |
|
Ginkgo biloba |
Ginkgo |
Treatment of attention disorders in postmenopausal women. |
Gastrointestinal disorders, allergic reactions, headache, and lowering of seizure threshold. |
|
Glycyrrhiza glabra |
Licorice |
Treatment of hot flash duration. |
Cardiovascular disease, hypercortisolism, hypokalemia, and hypernatremia. |
|
Hypericum perforatum |
St. John’s Wort |
Treatment for the vasomotor symptoms of postmenopausal women. |
Gastrointestinal disease, sensitivity to light, fatigue. |
|
Medicago sativa |
Alfalfa |
Effect on neurovegetative menopausal symptoms. |
Possible infection with Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Listeria. |
|
Melissa officinalis |
Lemon balm, bee balm or honey balm |
Effect on anxiety. |
No side effect reported. |
|
Panax ginseng |
Ginseng |
Treatment of sleep disorders, depression, and sexual function. |
Possible effect on endometrial thickness. |
|
Passiflora incarnata |
Passion fruit |
Treatment of vasomotor symptoms, insomnia, anxiety and dysmenorrhea. |
No side effect reported. |
|
Pimpinella anisum |
Anise |
Treatment of hot flashes but it also exerts an antiulcer action. |
No side effects reported. |
|
Salvia officinalis |
Sage herb |
Treatment of hot flashes and sweats. |
Possible interaction with diabetes and blood pressure. |
|
Trifolium pretense |
Red clover |
Treatment of hot flashes and it also exerts a bone preventing loss. |
No side effects reported. |
|
Trigonella foenum |
Fenugreek |
Treatment for hot flashes and osteopenia. |
No particularly side effects. |
|
Valerian officinalis |
Valerian |
Useful for hot flashes, anxiety, sleep disorders and dysmenorrhea. |
No side effects reported. |
|
Vitex agnus-castus |
Chaste tree, chasteberry or monk’s pepper |
Treatment for vasomotor symptoms and sleep diseases. |
Not reported. |
De Franciscis, Pasquale et al. “A Nutraceutical Approach to Menopausal Complaints.” Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) vol. 55,9 544. 28 Aug. 2019, doi:10.3390/medicina55090544 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.