Chinese herbs may reduce hot flashes | Reuters

by Kerry Grens

| NEW YORK

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Females going pertaining to a Chinese herbal formula experienced lower than half your number of menopausal hot flashes they'd before the treatment, according to a fresh study through Hong Kong.

Among ladies using an herbal mix referred to become able to as Er-xian decoction (EXD), the frequency of daily hot flashes dropped through 62 percent, in comparison to a 52-percent drop seen amongst women going pertaining to a placebo.

"It's any modest effect, but not a zero effect," stated Katherine Newton, a researcher who has studied herbal menopause therapies at the Team Wellness research Institute in Seattle.

Newton, that wasn't concerned inside the research, mentioned she'd want to see more, long-term studies demonstrating which these herbs are secure prior to sh e would recommend these to women, however that the present research makes EXD look promising as an alternative menopause treatment.

Hormone replacement treatment therapy is considered one in the most successful therapy for menopause-related symptoms, yet prospective health risks via hormones have females searching for alternatives, mentioned Yao Tong, the professor at the College involving Hong Kong as well as one of the particular authors regarding the newest study.

Er-xian decoction (EXD) contains compounds extracted in the roots, stems or leaves associated with 6 Chinese herbs, processed straight into granules then packaged in sachets to be produced in to a tea.

Although prior numerous studies have found out that EXD can help decrease hot flashes, these folks were certainly not high quality experiments, the researchers create inside the health-related journal Menopause: Your Journal associated with the North American Menopause Society.

To get a more re liable assessment associated with how well EXD works, these people questioned 101 women within their 40s and also 50s, who were in or close to menopause and also experiencing symptoms, for you to consume an herbal system twice each day regarding 12 weeks.



Half involving women drank the 15 gram dose involving EXD, while the other half drank a fake remedy which consisted regarding tea, caramel as well as an herbal compound referred to become able to as gardenin.

For a couple weeks prior to the treatment, the women logged their own hot flashes.

Those inside the EXD team reported an typical regarding 5.8 hot flashes every day, and those within the other team experienced five daily.

After the particular treatment, the actual number of hot flashes dropped to end up being able to 2.2 inside the EXD team and also 2.5 in the other group.

Three several weeks following your treatment method ended, hot flashes stayed put with 2.2 per day for women who had drank EXD, since they went up slightly to be able to 2.9 each day for women who had drank the particular placebo.

"Menopausal flushing is actually notoriously attentive to fluctuations along with placebo responses inside clinical trials, yet they've rigorously demonstrated a marked improvement and only active treatment" together with Er-xian decoction, stated Dr. Alan Bensoussan, the particular director in the Centre regarding Complementary Medicine research at the College involving Western Sydney, within an email to always be able to Reuters Health.

The severity of the hot flashes additionally declined to some higher diploma in the EXD group, from the three out of 4 at the start of the study to some 1.6 in the end.

Among women who drank the particular fake remedy, hot flash severity went coming from 3 to 2.3 on a four- point scale.

The trend continued 3 months later, with hot flash severity returning to baseline for ladies whom drank the placebo, but merely rising slightly into a 2.1 for females whom drank EXD.

"It's the small effect, yet a new measurable effect," stated Newton, that had certainly not been part of the particular research.

The researchers didn't compare EXD with other menopause treatments, so it's unclear how it could carry out compared in order to them.

But Newton informed Reuters Wellness in which the final results place EXD "in the particular ball park of some other studies associated with non-hormonal therapies that will aren't as effective as hormones yet do demonstrate a few promise."

Tong as well as the woman's colleagues write in their document which classic Chinese medicine views menopause signs as well as symptoms as related to deficiencies in kidney yin as well as yang, which regulate the actual operate with the body.

"The compos ition involving EXD consists of herbs with regard to enhancing each kidney yin and also kidney yang for you to treat menopausal symptoms," they will write.

Tong additionally stated inside an email for you to Reuters Well Being that her earlier research offers shown EXD raises hormonal along with anti-oxidant functions inside the body.

Er Xian preparations are accessible online, costing regarding $30 with regard to 42, 2-gram packets.

The problem, Bensoussan pointed out, is often that mit composition can alter coming from batch in order to batch as well as from supplier for you to supplier.

Tong stated a organization shows interest in developing the actual formulation the girl as well as her colleagues employed within the study.

However, Bensoussan, who was not involved in the research, noted, "The researchers get not necessarily reported accurate chemical profiling (definition) in the method according to important putative bioactives or selected ch emical markers in the formula. This is essential with regard to its reproducibility and also for as well long term use within the marketplace."

SOURCE: bit.ly/16mtgmP Menopause: The Particular Journal of Your North American Menopause Society, on the internet February 25, 2013.