Menopause is a key aspect of any woman’s health concerns, so being aware and in control of the symptoms is vital when it comes to dealing with it. Around two-thirds of all women develop symptoms when they go through the menopause, which include hot flashes, night sweats, aches, disrupted sleep patterns, fatigue and mood swings. Generally, the most common way to treat these is with Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT, which helps to alleviate the symptoms. This form of treatment helps to replace the hormones that the female body no longer generates following menopause. However, although it was once considered a routine treatment for menopause, large-scale trials suggest that there may be health risks attached, including blood clots, breast cancer, stroke and heart disease.
With this in mind, researchers have looked for herbal replacements to help treat the symptoms. Herbal extracts have been used traditionally to help address the effects of the menopausal stages – the extract currently being studied is that of black cohosh which is a botanical extract. As it doesn’t contain any phytoestrogens, it is considered to be a great replacement to avoid the health risks attached to oestrogen related medications. While there have been studies previously questioning the safety of this herbal treatment, the lack of oestrogen in the plant does offer benefits to female health. When analysed, black cohosh helped to reduce the risk of breast cancer by as much as 61 percent, as well as helping to reduce night sweats and hot flashes. It’s thought that it could also help with irritability and depression, too.
Researchers are keen to study this further to see whether black cohosh could be a viable alternative for HRT treatments in menopausal women. They believe that while it may not currently be seen as an all-round solution, it could be useful in helping women manage hot flashes, depression and night sweats.
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