Are you tired of getting hot flushes and feeling as though the world is against you? Are you having trouble concentrating at work and feeling fuzzy headed? Don’t let the depression and anxiety start flooding in! Treat your menopause symptoms as soon as they start. There are a variety of ways to treat the symptoms of menopause, the most popular is using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However this method is fast losing its following with the rise in awareness of side effects and the use of natural remedies. Menopause natural remedies range from the herbal remedies to lifestyle and diet changes.
One of the most commonly used herbal remedy is red clover. The red clover plant is a perennial herb that grows wild throughout Europe and Asia. This plant has now been naturalized to grow in North America. The flowers, red clovers, are dried and used for medicinal purposes.
How does red clover work as one of the menopause natural remedies? The extract of the red clover contains isoflavones. These chemicals mimic the hormone in the body called estrogen. Estrogen is responsible for regulating the reproduction cycle and causing menstruation amongst other things. Menopause symptoms are cause by decreasing levels of the hormone estrogen in the body. Isoflavones mimic the natural estrogen found in the body and act to re balance the hormonal system.
Is there any evidence that it works? Studies carried out in Japan (Jerri et al, 1999) have not been conclusive. Some studies suggest that it may have a reducing effect on hot flashes however, the largest study, showed no such effect. Even though the evidence is not conclusive, there are millions of women worldwide who use red clover and claim it helps during the menopause phase.