My mother told me that there are three important phases a woman may go through in life: child birth, parenting and menopause. These were not walks in the park. These are all testaments of a woman’s strengths. The mature women we know will tell us about it. It is a sudden rush of hotness felt on the face and the upper part of the body. It came with sweating, nausea, increase of heart pace, feeling of distress and weakness. Sounds just like the thrill of first love, isn’t it? It’s actually hot flashes and it is not thrilling at all. Fortunately dietary supplements have come a long way from extracts to capsules. Most of these remedies contain black cohosh for menopause support.
In the olden days, this herb is used in teas. The roots and the underground stems, either fresh or dried, are brewed as herbal infusions. They have also been extracted as solid or liquid extracts. Black cohosh has also been used in treating irregular menstrual cycles, premenstrual syndromes and utilized to induce labor in pregnant women who have difficulty in delivering their babies.
From teas to extracts and nowadays in capsules; black cohosh is still prevalent in certain dietary supplements for menopause. One such medicine is Menozac. Since this whole scenario is triggered by the decreased level so f estrogen and progestin, hormone therapy became a hit a few years ago. They found it to be effective to return the levels of certain hormones. However, it has also shown an alarming increase in the number of health problems that came with it, such as breast cancer and heart ailments. Millions of women heard about the frightening statistics and abandoned the hormone therapy. They turned to good old Mother Nature for cure. They used black cohosh for menopause symptoms.
Medical experts also suggest a change in lifestyle to supplement their treatment for menopause:
• Avoid triggers such as stress, anxiety, spicy foods, alcohol and even hot beverages. These triggers are unique to every woman. Find out what triggers the episode
• Keeping cool at most times: at work, while sleeping, at home by having AC, a fan or ice nearby
• Taking a cool shower before going to bed
• Avoid wearing wool and turtle necks. Choose cotton garments instead
• Exercise
• Switch to a low-fat diet and soy-rich foods
• Herbal supplements like ones that contain black cohosh, such as Menozac
Black cohosh for menopausal symptoms is a natural alternative and is time tested. From traditional apothecaries, it is now available and accessible through local drugstores, vitamin shops and online through reputable distributors. It is still best to talk to your health care provider or a homeopathic expert regarding treatments with black cohosh. It doesn’t mean that it works; you can take it for an extended period of time. Be wise and get informed.