Conscious Choice: Menopause

Archive | Herbs for Health (March 1998)

Menopause

by Meg McGowan

Menopause may be frightening simply because it is a change and changes are rarely comfortable. Or it may have deeper roots. Menopause and aging require women (and often their partners) to question their lifelong beliefs about femininity. If their definitions are rigid and stereotypical, some drastic realignment is necessary in order for a woman to make peace with her altered state. Purported to alleviate both the symptoms and the need to adjust one’s self image, the appeal of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), as originally touted in Robert Wilson’s 1966 tome, Feminine Forever, was obvious.

While it should not be dismissed as an alternative without carefully weighing the pros and cons on an individual basis, estrogen replacement therapy is no longer the easy answer it once seemed. ERT has been credited with lowering the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. It has also, however, been linked to increases in breast and uterine cancer. If progesterone is taken along with estrogen (referred to as hormone replacement therapy or HRT) the risk of uterine cancer is reduced. But taking progestins, synthetic progesterone, tends to negatively impact the levels of LDLs and HDLs in the blood stream, diminishing the positive benefits of estrogen on cardiovascular disease to an unknown extent. Additionally, progestins are often the source of numerous side effects.

Current research is in no way conclusive. Data from long-term studies is just beginning to trickle in, but most of the research, particularly looking at long-term effects, has been done using Premarin, the first estrogen available. New alternatives are rapidly appearing. Ideally, all health care consumers should be well informed and conversant with their options. When you are contemplating a course of treatment, find a qualified health care practitioner who can answer your questions and offer you further information. For help in locating a physician, contact North American Menopause Society, 2074 Abington Road, Cleveland, OH 44106; 216-844-3344.

Herbal treatments can be used instead of or in addition to other therapies. Some herbs treat the symptoms of menopause, while others actually aid in restoring the body’s hormonal balance. Essential oils such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, geranium (Pelargonium spp.), sage (Salvia officinalis), clary sage (Salvia sclarea) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) can be combined to create massage oils and bath additives for relief from hot flashes and day or night sweats. For a portable solution, try an inhalation of peppermint (Mentha x piperita) or basil (Ocimum sanctum) essential oil.

Headaches are a concern for some women. Try vigorously rubbing peppermint oil into the center of the forehead, just below the hairline, as soon as symptoms begin. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) essential oil added to a warm bath can help to alleviate both sleeplessness and headaches. Consuming chamomile tea may also be effective, alone or in combination with an infusion of passion flower (Passiflora incarnata). (See also "Sleep Naturally" in this column, March/April 1997.)

White peony root (Paeonia lactiflora syn. P. albiflora) is considered to be a relaxant for the nervous system. It is one of four ingredients in "four things soup," a Chinese female tonic. Combined with three other Chinese herbs, chuang xiong (Ligusticum wallachii), Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis), and rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa), white peony root treats heavy bleeding between periods, hot flashes, and night sweats.

Herbs containing plant estrogens and progesterones, called phytosterols, provide "hormonal building blocks," a term coined by Susun Weed in her book, Menopausal Years. She states that "using plants rich in phytosterols...allow[s] your body to create the precise amounts and combinations of the hormone needed." Chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) works gradually to help balance estrogen and progesterone in the body. Often consumed as an infusion or tincture, it takes several months of consistent daily use to realize the benefits. It may take two or three weeks before the results from taking dong quai (Angelica sinensis) or ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus [Siberian], Panax ginseng [Chinese], Panax quinquefolium [American]) become evident. Dong quai is high in phytosterols and also has an analgesic effect on the uterus. Ginseng, another rich source, is an adaptogen, helping the body adjust to changes and stress. A German study published in 1995 supported the effectiveness of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) in treating menopausal symptoms when used in combination with St. John’s wort (Hypericum perfoliatum). Also known as black snakeroot or squawroot, this herb has historically been used in Native American medicine as a women’s herb. Recently it has been found to contain high levels of phytosterols. Hormone regulating herbs occasionally cause symptoms to initially worsen before improving.

Herbs are only one source of phytosterols; significant levels can also be found in foods such as soybeans, yams, papayas, peas, and cucumbers. Lonnie Barbach, author of The Pause, suggests that a soybean-rich diet might explain the low incidence of menopausal hot flashes among Japanese women.

One alternative which has only recently emerged is the use of laboratory synthesized, plant-derived hormone preparations. Plant-derived hormones provide an exact match for the hormones produced by our own bodies. Though Premarin is often referred to as "natural" because it is derived from the urine of pregnant mares, the resulting horse estrogens are not identical to human hormones. An additional concern for vegetarians, animal lovers, and all people with a conscience is the process used in obtaining the urine for Premarin. According to P.E.T.A., the mares used for production are confined in narrow stalls for nearly half of their 11 month pregnancies with a collection cup attached to ensure that the maximum amount of urine is gleaned. Foals born are simply a by-product.

Plant-derived hormone preparations have not yet been widely tested, due to their recent emergence. They seem to offer some of the same benefits as using herbs and foods to balance hormones but in regulated, predictable amounts and in convenient forms — pills or creams. It is unlikely, however, that they can offer the same synergistic benefits, unique to nature, available to humanity when the whole plant is used rather than a derivative. Overprocessing is the cause of menopausal ills such as osteoporosis, not an inherent flaw in the design of women. When viewed from a global and historical perspective, it seems likely that our bodies are sounding an alarm at mid-life, alerting us to the dangers of continuing to lead a life of refinement and sedation. We can silence that alarm. Or we can change not only our own lives, but use our newfound energy to carry the message and effect change on the world around us.

Resources
For further information, try these excellent publications:

Before the Change: Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause, by Ann Louise Gittleman

The Change: Women, Aging and the Menopause, by Germaine Greer

Herbal Remedies for Women, by Amanda McQuade Crawford

Menopause and Estrogen: Natural Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy, by Ellen Brown and Lynn Walker

Menopause Without Medicine, by Linda Ojeda

Menopause Naturally: Preparing for the Second Half of Life, (recently updated) by Sadja Greenwood

Natural Woman, Natural Menopause, by Marcus Laux and Christine Conrad

Second Spring: A Guide to Healthy Menopause Through Traditional Chinese Medicine, by Honora Lee Wolfe

The Silent Passage: Menopause, by Gail Sheehy

A Woman’s Midlife Companion: The Essential Resource for Every Woman’s Journey, by Naomi Lucks and Melene Smith

DISCLAIMER: Choosing a holistic approach to medicine means choosing personal responsibility for your health care. Herbs for Health offers a doorway through which to enter the realm of herbal healing, an invitation to further investigation on the part of the reader. It is in no way intended as a substitute for advice from a health care practitioner.

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