Menopause: hormones or herbal medicine? Both are worse...

The use of herbal medicines to alleviate the symptoms of menopause may not only be useless, but also fraught with serious side effects. To date, there is no convincing scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these drugs, according to a review published in the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

Ike Iheanacho analyzed 26 published scientific studies on the use of popular herbal remedies for menopause. Scientists evaluated the effect of herbs such as carpal bug (Actaea racemosa), red clover (Trifolium pratense), Dong Quai or Chinese Angelica (Angelica sinensis), evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) and common ginseng (Panax ginseng).

It turned out that most of the studies on the effectiveness and safety of these drugs did not meet the existing scientific criteria. In particular, they involved an insufficient number of participants, or their duration was too short, the report says.

Meanwhile, the use of herbs can have adverse health effects. In particular, there is evidence that taking clopogon racemose can cause damage to liver cells. The interaction of medicinal herbs with medicinal products may also pose a certain danger, scientists warned. Thus, the concept of "natural" means does not at all indicate that they are also safe, they added.

The researchers noted that in the UK alone, about 40% of women take medicinal herbs and supplements to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and decreased libido. The popularity of these drugs has increased after the appearance of scientific studies proving the relationship between the use of hormone replacement therapy with breast and ovarian cancer.

BBC news: Herbal menopause cures lack proof

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru16.01.2009