I was surprised to read Dr. Andrew Weil’s comments about the fallacies of taking some natural remedies to alleviate menopausal symptoms in his “Dr. Debunker” column in the latest issue of AARP Magazine. After all, isn’t he known as a leading proponent of natural medicine?
In short, he says there’s little scientific evidence to support claims that common menopausal complaints, such as hot flashes, insomnia and low libido, can be helped by most herbal products. He also states that women should avoid all products that contain isolated soy isoflavones, such as red clover. Here is a list of other natural remedies that Dr. Weil says won’t do much to alleviate menopausal symptoms:
- Wild Yam
- Ginseng
- Licorice
- Gotu Kola
- Saint Johns Wort
- High does of Vitamin E
What does he recommend? Black cohosh, ground flaxseed (see my earlier blogpost about Flax), a healthful diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids and regular physical activity and stress-reducing practices.
A good place to begin your research on the efficacy of any complementary or alternative medicine or therapy is rVita, a free website that evaluates claims based on available clinical data and users’ experiences.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I have read a lot of arguments regarding soy, and have to say I agree with Dr. Weil there. I am suprised that he would suggest Black Cohash, as I thought, like soy, that also could promote cancer cells to grow. Maybe I am thinking of Black Cohash combined with soy, as is the case with some supplements. I’ll have to do a little more research.
By the way, thanks for the info on Costco having flaxseed. I love Costco, but never noticed that product. I usually get mine from my healthfood store.
Hello Ladybeams – thank you for your comment. I took RemiFemin, which contains 20 mg of Black Cohosh, for several months and it did work for while, but the benefits diminished over time, probably due my changing hormone levels. Also, there’s new research available on the efficacy of this herb for menopausal symptoms and I plan to summarize it here soon. BTW – not all Costco stores carry this ground Flax Seed, so best to check before making the trip there.
I’m confused. Is Dr. Weil saying no soy products, or just no supplements with isolated soy isoflavones?
I’ve personally found the Atkins diet brings on hot flashes… and carbs diminish them. Also, I use a jade pillow cover. They’ve used them in china for thousands of years to sleep during hot weather. A form of air conditioning… they are made of little pieces of jade strung together. It’s been a god-sent.
You might try sleepingcool web site to find them.
I was on low dose birth control pills for 25 years. 8 weeks ago I stopped taking them as recommended by my OB/GYN and started using 1 mg estadiol/200mg progesterone bioidentical hormone cream. My Dr. thought that the progesterone would help to alleviate anxiety feelings that I experienced over the past 10 months. Is 200mg of progesterone too much?
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