Plant Extract: Effective In Reducing Menopausal Symptoms

In the recent journal JAMA, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists analyzed information from 62 groups of surveys and studies, which included more than 6,600 women. In these studies, women used phytotherapy such as supplements, herbal treatments, or control agents to treat menopausal symptoms. These phytotherapy contain a class of compounds called phytoestrogens, which are found in certain plants such as soybeans.

Phytotherapy Effectively Relieves Menopausal Symptoms

Researchers observed whether phytotherapy relieves menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness and night sweats. In general, compared with the group of women who took the placebo, the group of women who took estrogen had fewer hot flashes every day and scored lower on the vaginal dryness test. Researchers say that whether it is the phytoestrogens found in food, such as soy protein or supplements, or those containing soy extract, these plant extracts are effective. However, phytoestrogens cannot reduce the number of night sweats in women. Phytoestrogens can help alleviate menopausal symptoms because these complexes have a structure similar to estrogen. Many menopausal symptoms are due to lower estrogen levels.

Researchers also found that some herbal treatments can reduce the number of daily hot flashes. These treatments contain ERr731 (edible rhubarb extract), Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) and other ingredients, but there are not many studies on these special treatments, so more research is needed to determine their effects on menopausal symptoms Degree of relief.

The study found that some Chinese medicines did not relieve menopausal symptoms, such as Angelica, supplements containing black cohosh extract.

Need To Consult a Doctor For Phytotherapy

In this new article, the researchers pointed out that the previous studies are sometimes too different, and the age, race, and length of the study are all different. These differences make it very difficult to draw a consistent result from this information. Because of this, a researcher from the University of Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom wrote: "More rigorous research is needed to determine the relationship between natural phytotherapy and menopausal health. The relationship between".

Although hormone replacement therapy can reduce the symptoms of menopause, this therapy is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, leading many women to choose combination therapies, including phytotherapy. Researchers say it is very important to determine the efficacy of these non-traditional therapies. Some herbs actually cause hot flashes in some people. In a 2012 case, an 11-year-old girl developed hot flashes after taking a daily medicinal dose of saw palmetto. (This herb is not included in the current study) It is very important for people to be cautious when buying dietary supplements, because studies have found that supplements sometimes contain ingredients that are not stated on the label, sometimes too much or too much. With fewer active ingredients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicates that people can ask their doctor about dietary supplements and ask if they should receive this treatment.