Posts Tagged ‘Black Cohosh’

 

What to Take For Hot Flashes

Natural Alternatives for Relief

 

If you have ever experienced a hot flash no one need to tell you just how frustrating, embarrassing, unpredictable and worrisome they can be.

If you are a menopausal woman and experiencing hot flashes you may be seeking a natural alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT. So, the question remains what to take for hot flashes.

A study sponsored  by the National Institutes of Health, suspects HRT treatment as posing serious health risks such as an increase in breast cancer, strokes, blood clots, Alzheimer’s disease and total cardiovascular disease; as a result, many women are seeking alternatives to HRT.

One of the common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause is hot flashes.  With hot flashes comes a sensation of intense heat with sweating and usually heat palpitation.  One hot flash may last for a brief period or up to 30 minutes.

Extreme hot flashes, during bed time, may make it difficult to sleep throughout the night which may lead to insomnia. Note, estrogen is typically lowest at night. By now you may be asking,   “so what are some natural alternatives to HRT.”

Before I answer the question of what to take, let’s begin with a list of what you  may want to avoid.

Read the rest of this entry »

Black Cohosh and Hot Flashes

Pilot evaluation of Black Cohosh for the treatment of hot flashes in women.

Article Summary:

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of Back Cohosh to reduce hot flashes and provide natural relief for hot flashes. Only women who reported at least 14 hot flashes per week participated in this study. These women received Black Cohosh extract for the last four weeks of this five week long study. The data was collected by having daily questionnaires. Of the 21 women who completed this study, the mean age was 56 years.

The result of the study was that the daily hot flash mean of the women decreased 50 percent at the completion of the study. The weekly hot flash mean of the women decreased 56 percent at the end of the study. Most patients reported less trouble sleeping, less fatigue, and less abnormal sweating. No adverse effects caused anyone who participated in the study to have to stop taking the Black Cohosh extract. The conclusion was that Black Cohosh seems to reduce hot flashes and it has a low toxicity.

Authors:

Pockaj BA, Loprinzi CL, Sloan JA, Novotny PJ, Barton DL, Hagenmaier A, Zhang H, Lambert GH, Reeser KA, Wisbey JA.

Institution:

Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259, USA.

 

 

 

BLACK COHOSH  and RELIEF  FROM HOT FLASHES

 

Commentary on Article “Black Cohosh and Hot Flashes”

The article summarizes research results for the use of Black Cohosh for the reduction of hot flashes as experienced by menopausal women.  According to research the findings proved to be quite encouraging…the overall results of reduction in hot flashes reported to be 56% decrease by the end of the study….wow…that reduction is significant.

Not only were hot flashes reduced but improved sleep, less abnormal sweating and lessening  of fatigue also reported. Listen to this, for those of us who are concerned about side effects, either from pharmaceutical drugs or natural remedies…

Black Cohosh did not cause adverse effects on any of the women who participated in the research.  The good news is Black Cohosh is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at any health food store or where nutritional supplements are sold. So if you are seeking natural relief for hot flashes Black Cohosh may prove to be an option.

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To Your Excellent Health!

Ameenah

Please remember that it is always important to consult your physician before beginning any remedies to make sure they won’t harm your health nor have any adverse effects. This information is for educational purposes only.