Herbal Remedies for Menopause

There are many herbal remedies for menopause, however just because they are herbs does not mean that they are harmless and have no side effects or interactions with pharmaceutical drugs. Any herbs you plan on taking should be discussed with a health care provider.

Many woman say that they are helped by some natural herbs such as herbs that increase the level of phytoestrogens in the body which have the same effect as HRT. Here are a few herbal remedies for menopause:

1. St John’s Wort may be helpful in the short-term (less than two years) for mild depression at doses of less than 1.2 milligrams per day. However, it can interfere with prescribed medication and can increase skin sensitivity to the sun.

2. Soy and Isoflavones contain plant estrogens found in soybeans and other beans. It is thought that by taking approximately 50 grams of soy protein a day, it may be helpful in the short-term of less than two years of relieving night sweats and hot flashes. Long term benefits may include positive effects on cholesterol and bone health.

3. In the short-term of six months or less Black Cohosh has been thought to treat night sweats and hot flashes. Studies have shown that Black Cohosh is extremely safe, however no long-term studies have yet been done.

4. Another one of the herbal remedies for menopause is Chasteberry which is also known as Indian Spice, Tree Wild Pepper and Monk’s Pepper. A study on women found that they had an improvement on feelings of anger and mood. It was also shown to alleviate headaches. It is thought that this herb works by inhibiting the release of prolactin.

5. Evening Primrose is a herb that is rich is GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) which is thought to be an essential fatty acid for humans. This herb is taken for menopausal symptoms, as well as for breast pain and bladder symptoms.

6. Ginseng, which includes types such as Korean, Siberian and American, are known to boost immunity and relieve stress. A study reported that menopausal women taking these ginseng herbal remedies for menopause had an improved overall sense of wellbeing.

Many women report positive results with taking herbal remedies for menopause, however, before taking any herbal products you should inform your health provider of any other medications you are taking because they can have harmful interactions with prescribed and over the counter medications.

For all your health and wellbeing needs and to receive a free health book please visit Better by Nature or Better by Nature’s Homeopathic Remedies

Contraindications And Precautions-Home Remedies

Taxonomic Class

Araliaceae

Common Trade Names

Multi-ingredient preparations: Bio Star, Cimexon, Energy Rise, Fast Lane Herb Tea, Gincosan, Ginsana, Ginsatonic, Ginseng Action, Neo Ginsana

Common Forms

No standards exist for ginseng despite availability of chromatographic assays for ginsenosides and ginseng polysaccharides.

Capsules: 100 mg, 250 mg, 500 mg

Extract: 2 oz root extract (in alcohol base)

Root powder: 1 oz, 4 oz

Tea bags: 1,500 mg ginseng root

Also available as a cream, eye gel, nutrition bar, and oil. The root is available in bulk by the pound.

Source

The most common species is Panax quinquefolius, commonly known as American or Western ginseng. Sought after most commonly for its root, the plant’s other characteristics (wild or cultivated) and the shapes of the root make it more valuable. Traditionally, ideal plants are at least 6 years old. Panax ginseng is known as the Asian, Korean, or Japanese ginseng. Asian ginseng usually undergoes treatment, such as drying and curing, before it is sold; the American variety undergoes less manipulation and carries less distinction.

Chemical components

Ginseng is composed primarily of ginsenosides, also known as panaxosides. About 12 major panaxosides have been isolated but are found in only minute quantities and are difficult to purify on a large scale. Other components of the plant isolated for pharmacologic effects include a volatile oil, beta-elemine, sterols, flavonoids, peptides, vitamins (B 1 , B 2 , B12 panthotenic acid, nicotinic acid, and biotin), fats, polyacetylenes, minerals, enzymes, and choline.

Actions

Several pharmacologic effects have been noted that vary with dose and duration of treatment. The panaxosides, found in the root, are thought to be the pharmacologically active agents. Although they are similar in structure, sometimes these compounds exert opposing pharmacologic effects. For example, ginsenoside Rb-1 has analgesic, anticonvulsant, antipsychotic, and CNS depressant effects; stress ulcer-preventing action; and acceleration of glycolysis and nuclear RNA synthesis. Ginsenoside Rg-1 has antifatigue, CNS stimulating, hypertensive, and stress ulcer-aggravating activities. These opposing features form the basis for the theory that ginseng serves to “balance bodily functions.”

Another example of these opposing actions is that Rg and Rg-1 enhance cardiac performance, whereas Rb depresses cardiac function. Other ginsenosides have shown antiarrhythmic activity similar to that of verapamil and amiodarone. Oral ginseng was found to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, decrease platelet adhesiveness, impair coagulation, and increase fibrinolysis in cholesterol-fed rats. Ginsenosides may reduce stress by acting on the adrenal gland.

Hypoglycemic activity in rodents has been documented, but the mechanism of action has not been proved . Extracts of ginseng have shown antioxidant activity on human erythrocytes in a laboratory model and prevented the development of morphine tolerance in rats. Some studies in animals have documented ginseng’s anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities and its hepatoprotective effects at low doses (destruction at high doses) in a rat model, whereas others found that tumors in mice were suppressed by components of ginseng.

Reported Uses

Ginseng is popularly claimed to minimize or reduce thymus gland activity. Other claims include its use as an antidepressant, an aphrodisiac, a demulcent (soothes irritated or inflamed internal tissues and organs), a diuretic, a sedative, and a sleep aid. Short-term use of the herb may improve concentration, healing, stamina, stress resistance (adaptogenic), vigilance, and work efficiency; long-term use is claimed to improve well-being in elderly patients with debilitated or degenerative conditions. Few claims have supporting data from animal studies and fewer still have data from human studies.

Although studies conducted in humans were mostly small and poorly designed, results suggest that ginseng has several beneficial effects. Improvement in appetite, emotional lability, sleep, and work efficiency in animals and humans indicates the ginseng’s ability to enhance physical and mental performance. Ginseng may also indirectly exhibit corticosteroid-like effects.

Ginseng decreased fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin Ale levels in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients such that some diabetics were free of insulin therapy for the duration of the study . The herb has also been shown to be beneficial in patients with hepatic dysfunction, hyperlipidemia, and impaired cognitive function.

Dosage

Dosages vary with the disease state; usually, 0.5 to 2 g of dry ginseng root P.O. daily or 200 to 600 mg of ginseng extract P.O. daily in one or two equal doses.

For improved well-being in debilitated elderly patients, 0.4 to 0.8 g of root daily P.O. on a continual basis.

Adverse Reactions

CNS: headache, insomnia, nervousness.

CV: chest pain, hypertension, palpitations.

EENT: epistaxis.

GI: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

GU: impotence, mastalgia, vaginal bleeding.

Skin: pruritus, rash (with ginseng abuse).

Interactions

Antidiabetic agents, insulin: Increased hypoglycemic effect. Use together cautiously.

MAO inhibitors (hypericin, parnate, phenelzine, selegiline, tranylcypromine): Adverse reactions include headache, mania, and tremor. Avoid administration with ginseng.

Contraindications And Precautions

Avoid using ginseng in pregnant or breast-feeding women; effects are unknown. Use cautiously in patients with CV disease, diabetes, hypertension, or hypotension and in those who are also receiving steroid therapy.

Special Considerations

Monitor the patient for signs and symptoms of ginseng abuse syndrome. This syndrome occurs when large doses of the herb are taken concomitantly with other psychomotor stimulants, such as tea and coffee. Symptoms include depression, diarrhea, edema, euphoria, hypertension, insomnia, loss of appetite, rash, and restlessness. The existence of this syndrome is debatable.

Monitor the diabetic patient for signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. Advise him to monitor his blood glucose level closely until effects are known.

Advise the patient not to take ginseng for a prolonged period.

Instruct the patient with preexisting medical conditions to check with his health care provider before taking ginseng.

Urge the patient to watch for unusual symptoms (diarrhea, insomnia, nervousness, palpitations) because of the risk of ginseng toxicity.

Advise the pregnant or breast-feeding patient to consult a health care provider before taking ginseng because safety has not been established.

Points of Interest

Ginseng has been given a positive evaluation from the German Commission.

It is estimated that 6 million people in the United States use ginseng regularly. In oriental cultures, it has been used for its medicinal properties for more than 2,000 years.

Although it was abundant in eastern North America, American ginseng is now considered threatened because of aggressive harvesting for commercial sales.

Commentary

Public interest in ginseng has been increasing. Although the herb appears to have promising uses, additional human efficacy, toxicity, and interactions data are needed. Ginseng has an interesting and unique pharmacologic profile, but ingestion of the plant is not without risk, despite its use for centuries.

Author has an experience of more than 4 years writing about home remedy. He also holds experience writing about ayurvedic medicines and home remedies.

What’s Wrong With Eating Dog Meat

Golly! Dog lovers the world over (well in the US and Europe anyway) are trying to get the Koreans to stop eating dogs. They have even enlisted FIFA to step in and put the pressure on the Koreans. See the report here:

Imagine what would happen if suddenly these fastidious people realized that Thais eat not only dogs but insects too!

With over 6,000 restaurants in Korea serving up about 1 million dogs a year, it would seem to be a difficult task indeed to stop the Koreans eating dogs. Imagine how much harder it would be to stop the Thais eating their favorite foods.

Although I had lived in Thailand about 10 years before I married my current wife, I had only noted the Thai fondness for insects from a distance. It wasn’t until my wife and I were married in a simple ceremony at her parent’s home in a small village way outside Ubon that I came close to the practice.

We hired a van to drive up there taking a few of our close friends with us to witness our union and to enjoy a fun filled few days up in the country. I’m not sure what was served up at the reception because there was just too much of it and we were happily draining a couple of cases of Mekhong whiskey and ‘Lao Khao’, the Thai equivalent of moonshine.

The day after the wedding my new family, and there were dozens of them, took us to the Moon River for a picnic aboard floating bamboo rafts. We all sat down anticipating a delicious Bar-B-Q and some seafood.

The first course was mouth-watering banana leafs full of red ant eggs. Hmmm. My friends and I passed on that one while we watched my new family tuck in with gusto. Next came plates of prawns swimming in alcohol. These fellas were jumping around and diving in and out of the brew. Naturally, this dish was called ‘Drunken Prawns’. Thankfully, they were probably so drunk by the time they slid down our throats that they didn’t care that they were being eaten. They were quite tasty.

Next came a selection of deep-fried insects, mostly grasshoppers, but I think there were other things in there that looked like cockroaches too. My Thai hosts assured me that these were very clean cockroaches harvested from among the rice stalks on their farm. Definitely not my cup of tea thanks, but the Thais crunched on them with relish.

The first few times I returned it was much the same. I must say that my Thai family tried valiantly to serve me up food I could actually eat, but they didn’t really know much about farung food. My basic staple while I was up there was usually omelets or white bread spread with margarine, and instant Nescafe for breakfast. I never eat white bread or drink instant coffee, so apart from my terrible hunger pains it was also an expression of my love for my new family that I actually downed it all with a smile on my face.

I’ve learned since then to go prepared and I always take a cooler filled with UHT milk, a pound of butter, fresh coffee beans, and some cheese. I keep the cheese until the Thais drag out their ‘Pla Ra’ fermented fish. So we both sit there with beatific smiles on our faces tucking into incredibly smelly food. Hey! Fair is fair, right?

Pla Ra has got to be one of the most disgusting foods ever for us fastidious farungs. It’s made by fermenting fish in earthen jars buried in the ground. The resulting mess smells as bad as it sounds, but the Thais love it. They heap it onto their ‘Som Tum’, papaya salad and laugh whenever I run from the room. I have banned my wife and cousins from the house when they eat. They have to eat it outside where the dreadful stench can’t waft into the house. I guess the sight of an overweight old man retching was enough to convince them to heed my banishment order.

I’ve even heard of Thais eating live monkey brains, although I’ve never actually seen it. Apparently, they lock the poor monkey into a device under a table with the crown of its head poking up through a hole in the table. Then they take a sharp sword and slice off the crown, something like taking the top off a boiled egg. They tuck in and scoop out the still live brain and eat it. Quite possibly the reason I have never actually seen this is because many of the diners are rumored to get some sort of terrible brain seizure and die afterwards. So I guess Karma really does work.

I started out talking about eating dogs, and I must apologize for the digression, but you gotta admit eating insects, drunken prawns, monkey brains and Pla Ra is definitely on a par with eating dog.

My first contact with eating dogs came about in the Philippines, where it is also a delicacy. The habit may have come about during the Marcos years when everyone was so poor they ate anything they could get their hands on. I believe there are no monkeys left anywhere in the country, either, because they ate them all.

Be that as it may some of them also love eating dog. I was taken one time to the deepest depths of Negros Island by one of my Philippino friends. He lived way up in the mountains in a little village miles from anywhere.

The first morning there I got up and wandered outside. There was his beautiful black dog lolling about with a very bad head wound obviously caused by a severe blow with a blunt instrument. I called out to my friend who staggered out (we had been doing justice to a case of ‘San Mig’ the night before). He took one look at his favorite dog, grunted, walked inside and returned with a revolver in his hand. He shot the dog right there.

That was shocking enough, but then he picked it up and grunted to me to follow him. We went out to a shed at the back of the house where he hung it from the rafters by its back legs. He slit the skin around the ankles, or whatever you call them on a dog, made a slit down the chest and belly, and then stripped the hide off. Next he gutted it and started to carve it up.

After the initial shock of seeing what he was doing I got over my squeamishness and asked him what he was doing as I watched. I had only recently come from Australia where all our butchering is done well before we see the meat in sterile shop displays.

“We’re going to eat him. It’s a shame he’s dead, but one of my neighbors obviously knocked him on the head and would have taken him to eat if you hadn’t gone out and scared him off. So why waste a good dog?”

When the dog was dressed (strange to use that word when it was actually undressed, but that’s the English language for you, isn’t it?), we carried it into the house and he cooked up a big curry. When it was ready he invited the neighbors over for a feast and we all tucked in.

What did it taste like? Well, it had a strong coppery taste I think. It was a bit hard to tell because of the curry, but it definitely left a coppery after-taste. The meat was nothing special. It wasn’t tough and stringy, and it wasn’t all that tender. It was just meat.

Why did I eat it?

Well, I’ve eaten snake, crocodile, bear, wild turkey and kangaroo tail soup, so why not? I wanted to see what it was like. Later on when I returned to Baguio, north of Manila, I also had some sun-dried dog meat, a bit like the dried beef the Thais serve up here. In fact, it tastes much the same, so who knows? Maybe the dried beef is actually dog meat.

Some Thais definitely like to eat dog meat too. I watched a Thai movie the other night called, ‘Khao Niaw Moo Ping’. It was a tale of a little girl who befriends a stray puppy. The mother dog gets caught by dog-nappers who sell their catch to the local dog food market.

So the next time you sit down with your Thai friends and you are offered some ‘dried beef’ you might want to ask them if it is really beef, or one of man’s best friends.

Celebrities & Other Famous People Who Wear Fashionable Eyewear

The ubiquitous eyeglasses can be found adorning the face of all persons ranging from a common man to the most famous celebrities in the world.

The fashion quotient of any eyewear is determined by the fact whether celebrities endorse them or not. If people find a particular pair of sunglasses being used by a very popular, famous and pretty model, the demand for the brand increases.

The loyalties of the masses to the designs and styles of sunglasses is often determined by the choices celebrities make.

Celebrities flaunt sunglasses better than most others and it seems as if no celebrity is willing to be seen in public without a pair of their favorite sunglasses perched on the bridge of their nose.

A quick peek into the celebrity world reveals the very interesting preferences of the celebrities when it comes to choosing sunglasses.

Celebrities Who Sport Fashionable Eyewear

The choice of the glitterati helps the common man deduce the latest trends in eyewear for the season. Fashion celebrities often act as the barometer to gauge the hottest choices for the season. Some celebrities who sport eyewear include:

o Catherine Zeta Jones has floored many critics with her natural talent and spontaneity. She is also known to be very particular about her fashion sense.

She has been seen sporting a Dolce & Gabbaba sunglass. This choice suits her face as the big and bold shades look classy on her sharp features.

o Nick Albert can be safely described as being obsessed with looking fashionable. Even something as small as a pair of sunglass does not escape his attention. He permits nothing other than designer sunglasses to adorn his face.

o Paris Hilton can be safely described as a star who has attained global fame and global notoriety. She sports a pair of the new Oakley Sunglasses. Interestingly, she prefers shades from a line launched exclusively for women.

o For Heidi Klum, nothing other than her classic Aviator sunglasses will suffice. This super girl cum super model has preferred Ray Ban sunglasses in the past. She prefers big shades that completely cover the eye.

o Carmen Electra can be seen with a pair of Missoni sunglasses perched on her face. She too prefers oversized sunglasses. Big sunglasses have made their comeback primarily on the basis of the fact that beautiful models prefer these glasses.

o It is difficult to say whether Michael Jackson contributed to the popularity of sunglasses or vice versa. His latest choice of eyewear happens to be Surplus Military Aviator sunglasses. The frames of these glasses are made of formulates steel.

If you do not watch movies or if you have (gasp) not heard about any of the names mentioned above, then perhaps some more information about choices of celebrity eyewear is in order.

Theodore Roosevelt sported eye wear practically at all times. In case you are wondering who he was, the description that he was one of the greatest presidents of USA should suffice.

The beacon of non violence, Mahatma Gandhi, preferred Windsor style eyeglasses. These glasses, first introduced in the 1880′s, still remain in demand.

Suzanne Hughes is an eyewear style consultant who specializes in reading glasses

For more information about eyeglasses, vision, and designer reading glasses, visit her online.