Nutrients Ease and Improve Menopausal Symptoms

Pomegranate seed oil 

Folk and Ayurvedic medicine have used pomegranate seeds to treat many female health concerns. Pomegranate contains unsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid, and phytoestrogens that doctors believe may help improve menopausal symptoms.

In this study, 78 women experiencing menopausal symptoms for an average of 46 months took 500 mg of pomegranate seed oil twice per day. The women reported their symptoms for four weeks before beginning to take pomegranate seed oil, and then again at the end of the four-week study.

Most symptoms were significantly reduced, with the greatest improvement in hot flushes, sleep quality, energy, and mood. The women also reported a 35 percent improvement in vaginal lubrication.

Discussing the findings, doctors said that while the effects on hot flushes, sleep, and mood are important, pomegranate seed oil may be a new plant-based solution for vaginal lubrication concerns.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek contains estrogenic isoflavones and diosgenin, a phytosteroid similar to estrogen. Declining estrogen levels are the cause of menopausal symptoms. Earlier studies have found fenugreek may influence hormonal activity, leading doctors to believe it may have a beneficial effect on menopausal symptoms. In this study, 104 healthy women took 300 mg of fenugreek seed extract twice per day, or a placebo.

After 12 weeks, while the placebo group had not improved, those taking fenugreek seed extract saw significant reductions in menopausal symptoms including daytime hot flushes and night sweats, improvements in mood and irritability, and fewer physical and sexual symptoms.

Reference: Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine; 2017, Vol. 23, No. 2, 28-34
Natural Insights for Well Being December 2017