11 herbs Especially for women

Better Nutrition, Nov, 1999 by J. Jamison Starbuck

Women and herbs go 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 by 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 on 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, though these can be irregular, and the amount and duration of flow may change. For many women, uncomfortable peri-menopausal symptoms are caused by a condition known as `estrogen dominance,' a hormone imbalance in which the effect of estrogen predominates over the effect of progesterone. Estrogen dominance brings with it not only physical problems like premenstrual syndrome (PMS), irregular menses, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, but emotional disturbances, and alterations in weight and sexual appetite.

Contrary to current medical belief, women do not need to suffer untreated through peri-raenopause, nor do they need to resort to anti-depressant or hormone medications. Botanical medicines are effective and can work wonders for peri-menopausal women.

VITEX

Vitex agnus-castus is invaluable in treating symptoms related to `estrogen dominance.' The plant's berries are thought to affect the pituitary, a small, but powerful gland in the brain which regulates hormonal production throughout 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 overcome an estrogen imbalance, and restore normal menstrual cycles and improve emotional health.

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

ISOFLAVONES: soy, black cohosh, and red clover

Isoflavones are plant hormones that are weak, or gentle, 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 binding to these sites, estrogen has less of an opportunity of becoming overbalanced, and some of the symptoms (dryness, hot flashes and profuse sweating, depressive moods) alleviated by ERT are also helped by phytoestrogens from soy, black cohosh, and red clover. In addition, isoflavones don't increase the risk of certain cancers, the way ERT is thought 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 two major studies bore this out.

Red clover. A 1999 study by Paul J. Nestel, and colleagues, showed that cardiovascular function "was significantly improved with red clover isoflavones [...] and indicate a potential new 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 effects 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 though 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 found in creams and capsules around the world.

ALCHEMILLA VULGARIS & CAPSELLA BURSA

Heavy bleeding is common 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 stem the flow of excessive menstruation. I recommend to my patients that the herbs be used acutely, that is during the heavy flow, rather than on a daily basis. These herbs are often 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, pungent smell, and is categorized in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as bitter, warm, and acrid.

It is used for both painful menses and irregular menses. Though the herb can be used for all ages, I have found it to be particularly helpful in treating young teens encountering problems like painful or irregular periods during the early years of menstruation. Because the herb is warming, it is also called for when there is a history of poor circulation and chilliness.