Herbal medicine is widely known to be very effective in addressing specific medical conditions. We have mentioned Phytoestrogenic Herbs to be very effective in addressing estrogen deficiency in women. Another excellent herb type that can be used to manage symptoms in menopause is a non-estrogenic herb or adaptogenic herbs. Studies have shown that this type of herb is more potent for treating menopause symptoms than phytoestrogens.
What are Adaptogenic Herbs?
As what its name says, adaptogenic herbs or non-estrogenic herb is an herb that does not produce estrogen on its own. It does not even resemble the function or the structure of estrogens. This type of herb works directly on the body’s endocrine system, specifically the pituitary glands, to produce more hormones more naturally. This means that there is no estrogen-like substance that is being added to your body.
You may ask, how does it work? You should know that estrogen is primarily produced by the ovaries. However, when the woman reaches menopause, her ovaries are no longer capable of producing estrogen in optimal amounts. The pituitary gland has control over the other endocrine glands, including the ovaries. In this case, the pituitary gland found in the brain needs to be stimulated to send signals to the ovary to produce more estrogen. This is where the non-estrogenic herbs get in the picture. The herbs make sure that the endocrine system, including the ovaries and the pituitary glands, are functioning well and healthy in nature. Once the endocrine system is healthy, you can be assured that your body can produce the right amount of hormones that it needs, especially estrogen, during the menopausal period.
This is the reason why specialists recommend to use more of the adaptogenic herbs than the phytoestrogen ones. Of course, phytoestrogens are effective in their own way, especially when it comes to estrogens’ immediate production. However, non-estrogens can be used for a longer-term and do not cause as many side effects as phytoestrogens. Plus, the effect is more natural with the adaptogenic herbs.
Why Should I Choose Non-Estrogenic Herbs?
Adaptogenic herbs work in harmony with your body. It actually makes your pituitary gland healthier in the most natural way. In this case, the level of estrogen is not forced into the body. Instead, it comes out from your own system through a natural process. As a result, it can be a more effective and a lot safer treatment option than other types of herbs and hormonal replacement therapies available in the market.
Since it can increase the estrogen levels in the body, you can be assured that you will not suffer much from the symptoms of menopause by stimulation of the pituitary gland. This means that you can be relieved, especially from mood swings, depression, night sweats, hot flashes, and decreased sex drive. You can experience menopause, but you are given the privilege to enjoy your journey and not suffer too much from the symptoms.
You should know that when your pituitary gland is stimulated, it does not only produces estrogen. It could also balance the level of progesterone and testosterone that the body needs. With good levels of estrogen and progesterone, you can promote your fertility all the more. It may also improve your sexual drive and performance as a whole.
Aside from improving your reproductive organ’s condition, the adaptogenic herbs can also be good to help you protect against medical conditions. It is widely known to prevent cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.
One of the best reasons you should choose adaptogenic herbs as a treatment option is that it actually does not have harsh side effects on the body. Everything works naturally with these herbs, so you don’t have to worry much about under or over-dosage when taking it. It doesn’t usually have interactions with other forms of drugs, so it could be safer to take them even if you are taking some medications.
Common Adaptogenic Herbs for Menopause
Here’s a list of the adaptogenic herbs that we found very useful. You may freely bookmark this post so you can go through them again in the future, for your convenient reference.
Few More Words …
If you look at it, adaptogenic herbs are better in a way than phytoestrogens. They do not add artificial forms of estrogen to the body, so they are a lot safer. Although many doctors recommend the use of this type of herb, still, it does not tell you that it should be the only thing that you should take. What may be right for you may not be right for other people. If one item is effective for you, some others may not experience the same efficiency in their case. Because of this, it is not necessary that you should only use one kind of treatment. You can combine two or more effective treatment options to ensure that you get the healthy results that your body needs.
What have you experienced with adaptogenic herbs? Let us know about it!
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Gita is the founder of My Menopause Journey. Since 2014, she has been supporting midlife women by sharing hard-earned learnings from her own experience. To advance her knowledge, Gita puts a lot of her time and effort into understanding the broad spectrum of women’s health. She immerses in extensive research about the physical, mental and emotional aspects of menopause. Gita believes in the life-changing power of healthy, holistic living — this is where she anchors her message to all women. Learn more about her marvelous mission in About us - My Menopause Journey.