Women and herbs walk together. They...

Women and herbs walk together. They always have. Since the earliest recorded history of plant medicines, women have been there -- planting, cultivating and harvesting, making herbal remedies, and themselves using botanical medicines to treat a variety of uniquely female complaints.

Although, herbs (such as Mitchella repens--squaw vine/partridge berry, or Rubus praeparator--red raspberry), are used effectively on naturopathic herbalists -- to enhance fertility or to assist with pregnancy, and are part of an herbal heritage extending back centuries, here we'll be focusing forward herbs and plants found to be beneficial to women's health, in general, and, specifically, those which enhance health from peri-menopause past menopause.

Peri-menopause

Peri-menopause is the time before menopause, a time as difficult as menopause for many women During peri-menopause, women still have menstrual periods, yet these can be irregular, and the amount and duration of spring may change. For many women uncomfortable peri-menopausal symptoms are caused from a condition known as `estrogen dominance,' a hormone imbalance in which the event of estrogen predominates over the purport of progesterone. Estrogen dominance brings with it not no other than physical problems like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) irregular mense uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, nevertheless emotional disturbances, and alterations in weight and sexual appetite.

Contrary to existing medical belief, women do not ne to meet with untreated through peri-raenopause, nor do they ne to resort to anti-depressant or hormone medications. Botanical medicines are effective and can work bewilderments for peri-menopausal women.

VITEX

Vitex agnus-castus is invaluable in treating symptoms related to `estrogen dominance.' The plant's berries are musing to affect the pituitary, a small, on the other hand powerful gland in the brain which regulates hormonal production from beginning to end the body. Studies show that when vitex is taken regularly for four to eight weeks, the pituitary gland-demands an increase in luteinizing hormone, the hormone which stimulates progesterone production. In this way, vitex can help a woman overbear an estrogen imbalance, and restore normal menstrual revolution of times and improve emotional health.

Vitex can be useful in other female complaints: amenorrhea (los of mense in pre-menopausal women) premenstrual herpes, acne, and steady menopausal hot flashes.

ISOFLAVONES: soy black cohosh and r clover

Isoflavones are plant hormones that are weak, or light counterparts to pharmaceutical estrogen (estrogen replacement therapy, or ERT) derived from the urine of pregnant horses (Premarin). They mimic human estrogen and, in fact, brad to many of the estrogen receptor binding sites in tissue, whether in breasts, ovaries, etc by way of binding to these sites, estrogen has les of an opportunity of becoming overbalanced, and any of the symptoms (dryness, excitable flashes and profuse sweating, depressive moods) alleviated by dint of ERT are also helped by dint of phytoestrogens from soy, black cohosh and r clover In addition, isoflavones don't increase the risk of certain cancers, the way ERT is conception to; in fact, isoflavones are believed to decrease the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, and appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease. In fact sum of two units major studies bore this out

R clover A 1999 studious mood by Paul J. Nestel, and colleagues, showed that cardiovascular function "was significantly improved with r clover isoflavones [] and indicate a potential modern therapeutic approach for improved cardiovascular function after menopause."

Soy In 1996 Mark s Anthony, and others, demonstrated that "the isoflavones in soy protein improve cardiovascular risk factors without apparent deleterious tenors on the reproductive system," in an animal model

DIOSCOREA

Dioscorea, or wild yam, does not, itself, contain a form of progesterone which humans can absorb directly, al granting pharmaceutical processing does yield a form of progesterone In fact, estimates indicate that up to 50 percent of pharmaceutical laboratories use wild yam as the raw material in the production of the hormone progesterone Progesterone derived from wild yam, can be place in creams and capsules around the world.

ALCHEMILLA VULGARIS & CAPSELLA BURSA

Heavy bleeding is usual throughout the menstrual cycle, and particularly in peri-menopause. Alchemilla, or Lady's Mantle, and Capsella, Shepard's Purse are astringent herbs which work nicely to descendant the flow of excessive menstruation. I commend to my patients that the herbs be used acutely, that is during the heavy liquefy rather than on a daily basis. These herbs are frequently found combined with other astringent plant medicines like yarrow or plantain.

ANGELICA SINENSIS

Angelica sinensis, or dong quai, is popular with Chinese herbalists for the treatment of gynecologic complaints. It has a distinct, peevish smell, and is categorized in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as bitter, warm, and acrid.