For most women, the menstrual cycle is a key part of their life. However, menstruation is not a permanent feature. Most women have their last menses between 45 and 55-years old. A woman is in menopause when she hasn’t menstruated in 12 consecutive months and can no longer become pregnant naturally. The transition preceding menopause is referred to as perimenopause, in which hormones are often unbalanced causing symptoms of vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleep problems, chills, headaches, weight gain, and mood changes.

For some women, these symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable. The good news is that natural remedies may help to manage menopause:

1. Acupuncture
The efficacy of acupuncture, the form of treatment that involves inserting very thin needles through a person’s skin at specific points on the body, to various depths has been growing over time. The World Health Organization has backed the therapeutic value of acupuncture in key medical conditions. Research including from the University of Southern Denmark has shown that acupuncture reduced menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and emotional problems.

2. Black cohosh
Black cohosh has been used for centuries by communities in the world including native Americans to treat menopause symptoms. There has also been more than seventy years of individual studies on Black cohosh that noted its benefits for menopausal women. The doses and uptake methods vary between perimenopause vs menopause stages but it’s effective in both stages. It helps with vaginal dryness, excessive sweating, hot flashes and moodiness by reducing imbalances in the estrogen hormone, the female sex hormone.

3. Dong quai
Dong quai is a herbal medicinal plant that has been used for more than 2,000 years. The root, taken orally, has documented benefits including; relieving pain, improving immunity, activating blood circulation and reducing estrogen imbalance and thus a remedy for menopause.

4. Ginseng
Ginseng has for a long time been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Research into ginseng has proved that the medicine has two key compounds: ginsenosides and gintonin that complement one another to provide health benefits. There is evidence that Ginseng helps manage night sweats and hot flashes, key menopausal symptoms, thereby providing relief and restoring health. The red ginseng has also proved to be a booster for improved sexual lives of menopausal women by eliciting arousal. Ginseng is often taken as tea in order to maximize on the benefits.

5. Maca
Maca has been growing rapidly in popularity over the last few years. The native Peruvian herb can be taken in powder form, as capsules and as a liquid extract in smoothies and sweet treats. Aside from its nutritional value, early research and trials have demonstrated the additional benefits of maca including increasing libido. Studies conducted among menopausal women also revealed that maca helped alleviate menopausal symptoms such as insomnia and hot flashes.

6. Evening primrose oil
This oil is derived from the seeds of the flowers of a plant native to North America. The seeds have a gamma-linolenic acid content which has omega-6 fatty acid that have healing benefits. Research has proven that evening primrose oil is a wonder plant that can help remedy menopause by managing and addressing the symptoms such as acne, eczema, skin health and hot flashes.