Herbs for Menopause
A while ago, I went to an herb making class with herbalist Ellen Zimmerman in Austin, Tx. I was 48 at the time and I asked Ellen about herbs for menopause. She said she took 1 teaspoon vitex tincture every morning for a year, and had no menopause problems! Boy did that stick with me. I went home and researched vitex. It is a beautiful bush that grows well in Texas, has purple flowers and is drought tolerant. So we planted it. In this photo of my garden, the vitex bush is the plant in the back with the lavender blue flowers. In the fall, it had dried berries, which I harvested and used to create tinctures. So I'm now 50 and starting to take my vitex often. I have taken the tincture before for PMS and it works. Vitex is also called chaste berry. Vitex balances estrogen and progesterone. Vitex will grow in a dry hot climate like the Mediterranean. Here are some more herbs for menopause that help digestion, your liver, hormone balance, your nerves and heart--all helpful during "the change." ALOE VERA For the liver, digestion and hormones, I love Aloe Vera. I use a product from Premier Research Labs called Quantum Aloe drink, organic inner leaf gel and pulp. I'm sure there are other good brands, too. Aloe Vera calms a stressed liver. In Ayurveda healing they say it prevents wrinkles and keeps you young and beautiful. It helps your digestion, to. During menopause the liver has a lot of hormones to process and that can slow digestion, and a stagnated liver causes anger and irritability. Sound familiar? SCULLCAP Nerve tonics are great herbs for menopause. They treat insomnia and anxiety. Scullcap is my favorite. It calms an overactive mind. If you startle easily, try this herb. Other nerve tonics include chamomile, hops, valerian and passion flower. Sometimes you can find a formula that has a combination of all of these. Look for products for anxiety or insomnia. They calm you down. DANDELION ROOT, BUPLEURUM For the liver, iron and calcium, I like dandelion root tea. I use Traditional Medicinal brand. Dandelion helps stimulate bile flow which helps digestion of fats. Helps with anger and irritability, too.. a great herb for menopause. Bupleurum is a Chinese herb that helps the liver. It is found in formulas with names like "free and easy wanderer," or "easy qi." It helps you go with the flow, and not feel stuck. Bupleurum is also helpful for tight muscles in the upper back and neck area. I use a formula from Dragon Herbs called "Easy Qi." DON QUAI Don quai seems to do everything. It builds blood and balanced hormones, helps the heart and calms you down. It's the supreme womens herb in Chinese medicine. ENERGY TONICS Chinese Ginseng is the classic energy tonic. But if you are too hot and aggravated, or if you drink caffeine, it may not be f>or you. I like ginseng for when I feel depleted. There is American Ginseng that is better if you feel hot and stressed. When you get into Chinese herb formulas, it helps to consult with an experienced herbalist, even if just in a book. Many Chinese herbs come in combination formulas. I take Ginseng and Longan formula that I order from Dragon Herbs. It helps insomnia and has don quai in the formula. These are tonics that build your energy over time. Others are Tibetan rhodiola and eleuthero. Bee pollen is not an herb but it's natural and will give you energy. Full of B vitamins, I notice more energy after taking it. HEART TONICS Women over 45 need to think about their heart. Heart disease goes up around menopause time. WE lose the protection estrogen gives us. Motherwort is an herb that will stop heart palpitations, a scary menopause symptom. It will calm your heart. It is Often recommended for menopause. Hawthorn strengthens your heart muscle and cardiovascular system. And I add garlic to salads! calcium-magnesium, not an herb, but calms all of you, including your heart. Magnesium really is a heart helper. I like cal--mag together because they balance eachother. Also if you get foot cramps, cal-mag will help with this. SO HERE IS A LIST Think of your symptoms and pick one from each category, or just start with a few. You can mix them. Many herbs come in combination formulas. Liver and digestion: aloe vera, dendelion root, bupleurum formulas Energy: ginseng, rhodiola, eleuthero, American ginseng, bee pollen Blood builder: don quai Nervous system: scullcap, chamomile, valerian, hops, passion flower Heart: motherwort, hawthorn berries, garlic Hormone balance: vitex, aloe vera, don quai You can take a few of these in capsules, teas and tinctures. Create your own program and experiment. And take them consistently to see results. I like to take off one day a week with no herbs. Herbalist Micheal Tierra recommends this. Go to a quality health food store or grocer like Whole foods or Sunflower for the best brands. I like Dragon Herbs (available online), Traditional Medicinal Teas, Nature's Way, and Planetary Herbs. Soo, best of luck with these herbs for menopause! Below is a link to quality bulk herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can save money by ordering herbs in bulk and making your own teas and tinctures. 
chamomile tea calms your nerves and helps you sleep dandelion greens and root give you valuable minerals like iron and calcium herbal energetics can help you choose the herb that suits your body parsley tea and parsley pesto give you iron and calcium more about turmeric to balance hormones |
