The remedies of choice

It is estimated that 46 per cent of American women use complementary and alternative therapies to address issues at and around the time of the menopause.

While such figures are not available in Ireland, anecdotal evidence suggests that the menopause is one of the times in a woman's life that she is most likely to seek help through complementary therapies. The most common menopausal symptoms reported by women are hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia and palpitations. The remedies of choice include black cohosh, red clover and soya.

There are several ongoing studies into the use of black cohosh for the relief of menopausal symptoms, especially hot flushes. To date, the evidence is positive although there are some concerns about its use in women with a history of breast cancer.

Studies into whether red clover reduces hot flushes have proven negative. Research suggests that those on thyroid medication or drug therapy for breast cancer should avoid taking red clover.

Studies into whether soya can reduce menopausal symptoms are inconclusive. Some show no improvement over placebo while others showed menopausal symptoms improved in the treatment group over a placebo.

Women should always consult their medical doctor and a registered practitioner of herbal medicine, nutritional therapy or naturopathy before undergoing any radical changes to their diets or taking herbal medicines and food supplements for menopausal symptoms.