A New Zealand company, Kiwiherb, has produced a supplement that combines these two herbs and is based on a wholly natural, high-potency formulation created by leading New Zealand medical herbalist Phil Rasmussen. The combination of these two organic herbs acts as a natural oestrogen modulator to help regulate hormone levels.
Black Cohosh is a herb native to North America and which over the last 50 years has gained an excellent reputation amongst western herbalists for its efficacy at easing menopausal symptoms. A 2007 Turkish clinical trial that compared the benefits of Black Cohosh with fluoxetine, one of the latest recommended prescription drugs for hot flushes, found that Black Cohosh was better at reducing the frequency of both hot flushes and night sweats. Modern clinical trials also confirm just how effective Black Cohosh is at balancing the hormones in menopausal women and subsequently reducing the associated side effects, when taken on a regular basis. A recent review of the different natural remedies available found the herb…, “the most effective botanical.”
Sage is also used in North America and ceremonials and is found in its natural wild condition from Spain along the Mediterranean coast up to and including the east side of the Adriatic. Anecdotal evidence gathered by New Zealand and British herbalists, discovered that Sage was particularly effective at helping to ease the sweating associated with hormonally induced over-heating, another fact supported by modern research and so it is very effective for women suffering from hot flashes and night sweats.
This particular combination of herbs can also be very useful in balancing the mood swings that can occur during menopause, including the irritability and tetchiness that often goes with it. One other frequent side-effect of menopause is poor concentration, focus and memory difficulties — though whether this is due to menopause or just increasing age is debatable! If you are experiencing what is tactfully referred to as ‘brain fog’ then these herbs may help as Sage is mentioned in several old European texts for its memory and mood-enhancing properties.
Low libido, or lack of sexual desire, is also commonly experienced during menopause and Phil Rasmussen found that when prescribing Black Cohosh and Sage to his menopausal patients in New Zealand a significant number of women reported improvements in libido as an added benefit of taking these herbs together.
If you think these herbs might help you then Kiwiherb Black Cohosh & Sage Capsules are available from health stores or online at www.lifeplan.co.uk.