Natural remedies that can help the menopause

One thing we are often asked about is what natural remedies we have for hormonal issues – PMS and menopausal symptoms are the plague of many women’s lives.
Jenny Logan.Jenny Logan.
Jenny Logan.

So, for the next couple of weeks, I am going to focus on the natural ways to help support those issues.

Starting with menopausal symptoms. Most people worry about the hot flushes and night sweats, with some women saying they wake in the night with sweats so bad they have to change their night clothes.

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Sweats are not the only issue either, the falling oestrogen levels can lead to low mood, tearfulness and low energy. And if that’s not enough it will also contribute to loss of skin elasticity and vaginal dryness (feeling bad enough yet)?

However, there are things that can help.

One of the most popular for sweats and flushes is the herb sage. This helps to regulate heat and sweat, so can be very helpful for a lot of women if the ‘only’ issue they are worried about is flushes and sweats.

According to reports, as many as eight out of 10 women say it helps to reduce or eliminate their hot sweats.

If there are other issues alongside the hot sweats, such as low moods, reduction in skin quality and tearfulness, it could be well worth trying a phytoestrogen supplement.

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These are basically substances which have been found to be present in certain plants and which mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, ‘conning’ the system into believing the oestrogen levels are higher than they actually are, helping to alleviate many of the symptoms triggered by the fall in that hormone.

One of the most popular phytoestrogen supplements is red clover. I tend to suggest something like Nature’s Aid Red Clover, at 500mg you only need one a day and it is not going to break the bank either.

The other option is a soya based supplement.

However, with soya you do need to be careful. Many normal soya supplements do not contain active plant oestrogen, soya needs to have been fermented first to be active.

Therefore if looking for a soya based product to help with menopausal symptoms make sure it has been fermented, like Vogel Menopause Support.

I’m afraid the final key element can be patience.

While many people do find the soya, red clover or sage gives relief in a few weeks, for others this benefit can take longer.