Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms with Herbal Medicines: A Review

Abstract

Menopause refers to the natural process of the “cessation of the menstrual cycle.” This phase predominantly affects aged women and can lead to various symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, and sexual dysfunction, among others. Unfortunately, many women remain unaware of this condition, and some even choose to overlook the symptoms. However, those who recognize the symptoms consult with a doctor, who may recommend Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Initially, Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be effective, but prolonged use can result in side effects. To mitigate these effects, there is a need to explore and investigate herbal therapies as an alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms. The objective of this review is to explore and summarize various herbs used in managing menopausal symptoms as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. For this review, we conducted a literature survey spanning from 1998 to 2023. We used keywords such as menopause, endocrinology, hormone replacement therapy, and herbs used for reducing menopausal symptoms to search databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciDirect. Relevant data were sourced from various journals like Plos One, JAMA, Frontier, Drug in Context, MDPI, Molecules, BMC Women's Health, Research Gate, Heliyon, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Nutrients, JMM, Wiley, OXFORD, Hindawi, Clinical Phytoscience, Pharmaceuticals, Phytomedicine, and Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society. The literature review encompassed 40 research articles and 200 review articles, including randomized controlled trials. The findings revealed that several herbal plants, including Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Foeniculum vulgare, Trigonella foenum, Actaea racemosa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Oenothera biennis, Trifolium pratense, Humulus lupulus, Vitex agnus-castus, Valeriana officinalis, Linum usitatissimum, Cannabis sativa, and Asparagus racemosus, have shown efficacy in treating menopausal symptoms. In conclusion, medicinal plants can play a significant role in managing acute menopausal syndrome. The intent of this review is to highlight the most recent research on estrogenic plants for medicinal purposes and their therapeutic impact on cognitive deficiencies brought on by estrogen shortage during menopause and aging.