Herbs which help women

Better Nutrition, Sept, 1997 by Steven Foster

Who am I to write about herbs for women? My only qualification is one of contemplating cosmology. I have often heard women say, if God were female, she would not have created menstrual cycles. However, from a philosophical standpoint, perhaps the female element of God may have considered this cycle one in which the woman was to be honored and given a place of respect. She was left to herself, without duty, except to focus on her spirit. Obviously, this period of connectedness has passed from our collective cultural mind.

My qualifications as an objective observer have been to listen to stories, to see pain and discomfort, and to point friends and family in the right direction in a search for symptomatic relief.

The use of herbs by women and for women takes herbalism back to its roots. By tradition, the keepers of herbal knowledge have always been women. If a cup of steaming herbal tea is anything, it is nurturing. Herbalism as it has evolved, as women serving the needs of women, empowers that nurturing spark from which healing is born. Much can be read into the tea leaves of tradition when exploring the subject of herbal medicines for menstruation. Balance of cycles in inevitable change mark this subject. Change of the moon. Change of seasons. Change of life. Change is all that is really predictable.

The menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle, the time from the onset of one menstrual flow to the beginning of the next, is a fascinating cascade of hormonal events. Hormone activity from the hypothalamus-pituitary gland and ovaries control the menstrual cycle. This is sometimes called the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis. A cluster of nerve cells in the center of the brain, known as the hypothalamus, regulates production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, an important hormone in regulation of the menstrual cycle. The pituitary gland lies next to the hypothalamus. At the end of the menstrual cycle, low levels of the hormones estradiol and progesterone trigger the hypothalamus to release gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which is transported to the pituitary. In turn, this triggers specialized cells in the pituitary to manufacture and release luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone into the circulatory system.

The follicle-stimulating hormone causes a series of ovarian follicles to develop, which after an average of 14 days, causes a single dominant follicle to mature. The follicle continues to develop and secrete the female hormone estradiol. Meanwhile, the other follicles, which developed at the first release of follicle-stimulating hormone, degenerate. Over a three-to-four-day span, there is a surge in release of luteinizing hormone (up to ten-fold), which regulates processes necessary for maturation of an ovum, such as the release of prostaglandins and proteolytic enzymes. About 24 hours after the surge of luteinizing hormone first occurs, ovulation takes place.

The time between ovulation and the beginning of menstrual flow is known as the luteal/secretory phase, occurring about 13 to 14 days after ovulation. The follicle which matured and produced the ovule, now ruptures, transforming to what is called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum takes up lutein pigment (a yellow pigment) and fats, then secretes progesterone, estradiol, and androgens. Increased levels of these hormones produced by the corpus luteum cause the outer layers of the uterine endometrium to mature and become secretory (hence the secretory phase), preparing the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg. If no fertilized egg makes itself at home, the corpus luteum stops secreting hormones, allowing for prostaglandin synthesis. Next the endometrial lining of the uterus swells, and the specialized tissue created for a fertilized egg sloughs off. Vasoconstriction (constriction of vessels) occurs, resulting in bleeding and the beginning of a new menstrual cycle. When an imbalance occurs in ethis complex series of hormonal-controlled events, menstrual-related symptoms may occur.

Menstrual-related conditions

Common conditions related to menstrual cycles that are traditionally treated with herbal medicine include: 1) amenorrhea, essentially an absence of menstruation or abnormal cessation of the menses; 2) dysmenorrhea, generally and ambiguously described as painful menstruation; 3) premenstrual tension, commonly referred to as premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, characterized by irritability, emotional upset, nervousness, possible depression, headaches, breast tenderness, and weight gain due to fluid retention. PMS generally occurs one week to 10 days before the onset of bleeding, and usually disappears shortly after the period begins.

Amenorrhea may be caused by numerous factors. It can be induced by emotional stress, binge dieting, obesity, anorexia nervosa, as well as serious illnesses related to diabetes, heart disease, or other conditions. Various drugs, including corticosteroids and barbiturates, can disrupt the menstrual cycle. Various anatomical conditions, endocrine or hormonal disorders, or even chromosomal abnormalities can also cause amenorrhea. It should be understood that amenorrhea is not a disease, but a symptom.