Essential Menopause Support with Black Cohosh dietary supplement for Women 60 capsules

Use of HMC in medications and supplements in Asia and Europe:

HMC has been formulated into medications and supplements used to combat venous disorders such as venous insufficiency and leg cramps.

HMC's strong effects, especially when used with other products, and its great safety profile make it great in combination with other women's health herbs.

Gamma-Oryzanol (Rice bran oil extract): Gamma-Oryzanol supplementation with gamma oryzanol has been shown to reduce menopausal symptoms in approximately 70% of women who have had their ovaries surgically removed.  This is thought to be due to decreasing secretion of leutinizing hormone (LH) by the pituitary gland and by promoting endorphin release by the hypothalamus. Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms (profuse sweating, mood changes) result indirectly from the oversecretion of the leutinizing hormone, which is attempting to initiate the start of another ovulatory cycle. The lack of response by the immature egg cells in the ovaries in menopause results in an oversecretion of FSH and LH by the pituitary, contributing to the onset of hot flashes and related symptoms. A welcome benefit is a reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides.

Black Cohosh: The roots of the Black Cohosh were found to be effective treatment for menstrual symptoms and menopausal symptoms including hot flashes,night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, and irritability by Native American tribes over two hundred years ago. This stands today and Black Cohosh is commonly prescribed in Germany for this reason. Recent studies also show a decrease in breast cancer risk with Black Cohosh, as well as decreased inflammation with arthritis. 

Sage: Low doses of sage have been shown to decrease the frequency of hot flashes throughout the day.  Studies of the mechanism of action are sparse as normal doses of this herb are safe. 

Norway Spruce: The Norway spruce (Picea abies) produces abundant quantities of the plant lignan 7-hydroxymatairesinol, or HMR. In the human GI tract, HMR is converted to an active compound called enterolactone.18,33-35 Both HMR and enterolactone are mild phytoestrogens, which are an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy without the added risk of breast cancer. As such, phytoestrogens offer additional support for women undergoing menopausal transition.18,35,36

In one important study, menopausal women supplemented with either 36 or 72 mg of HMR lignan per day for eight weeks. The supplement was readily absorbed and distributed in the women’s bodies, raising 7-HMR levels in the blood by 191% in the lower-dose group, and by 1,238% in the higher-dose group. The higher dose also produced a 50% reduction in the mean number of weekly hot flashes, from 28 to 14.3.

Decreased breast cancer:

In addition to drastically cutting the number of hot flashes, there is also exciting news about HMR lignan in the prevention of breast and other cancers. Several different epidemiological and laboratory studies have shown that diets rich in plant lignans are likely to reduce the risk of human breast cancer. This is likely due to the antioxidant effects of  HMR lignans,  which sharply reduce the concentrations of reactive oxygen species that can damage DNA and trigger cancers.

Study 1: Effects of Sage and Alfalfa in Menopausal Women

In the late 1990s, a team of Italian scientists conducted a study to evaluate the effects of a product containing sage leaf extract and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in menopausal women. During the three month study period, hot flushes and night sweating completely disappeared in 20 of the 30 women who participated in this study. In addition, four of the remaining women showed "good improvement", and even the other six were reported to experience a reduction in symptoms. This study was published in the May 1998 issue of the Italian journal Minerva Ginecologica.

Study 2: Effects of Pure Sage on Hot Flashes in Women

In a groundbreaking study conducted in Switzerland, menopausal women with at least five daily hot flushes were treated with a daily tablet containing fresh sage leaves for eight weeks. The results were impressive: on average, the total number of daily hot flushes decreased significantly each week, from week 1 through week 8. Furthermore, the average number of hot flushes classified as mild, moderate, severe, and very severe decreased by 46%, 62%, 79%, and 100%, respectively, during the eight-week trial period. This study appeared in the June 2011 issue of the journal Advances in Therapy.