The best way to cool hot flashes: natural remedies offer relief without risk - Natural Medicine

Natural Health, May-June, 2003

THE MORE THAN 6 MILLION WOMEN taking hormone replacement drugs now need to decide whether to continue taking them because of last summer's news of their health risks. Fortunately, they have plenty of other options. Soyfoods, red clover (Trifolium pratense), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) can safely reduce the hot flashes that accompany menopause, says Mary Hardy, M.D., director of the integrative medicine program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. (Her specific recommendations are at right.) And preliminary evidence shows that dietary soy may help prevent heart disease and bone deterioration, two problems that occur more frequently with menopause.

You may have heard about soy supplements, dong quai (Angelica sinensis), and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) as natural alternatives for treating hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. But there is very little scientific proof of their effectiveness, Hardy says.

Natural remedies don't work for everyone, Hardy says, but about half the women who try them--especially those who eat well, exercise, and practice relaxation techniques like meditation--find relief.

How to Get Hot Flash Relief

Begin by adding soyfoods to your daily diet. If your hot flashes don't
stop after four weeks, add red clover or black cohosh supplements or
both. When your hot flashes subside naturally, taper off your regimen
by cutting your dose in half every two to four weeks. If you're
switching from conventional to natural hot flash remedies, consult your
doctor.

REMEDY       FORM                         DOSE

Soy Foods    Tofu, tempeh, soybeans,      One 3-ounce serving of tofu
             and soymilk                  or tempeh, 1 cup soybeans, or
                                          1 cup soymilk a day

Red Clover   A product standardized to    One 45 mg dose of isoflavones
             25 to 45 mg of isoflavones   daily

Black        Research was on Remifemin,   One 20 mg tablet twice daily
Cohosh       a product standardized       or 40 drops of liquid extract
             to 1 mg of triterpines       a day