Q: What is the best herbal product for a lady with low bone density who has been diagnosed with an early menopause at 42 years?  She wants to try and get her periods back. 

A: If there is no medical reason for the early menopause, it is well worth following a nutritional approach to try and get the periods back. A while back a lady of 40 came into the clinic because her periods had stopped suddenly and she was getting hot flushes.  She had been to see her doctor and blood tests showed she was menopausal. I asked her what had been happening around the time that her periods ceased and she said that she had been made redundant and had also lost her father.

I explained that the aim would be to ensure that she was as healthy as possible, addressing any problems with her diet, checking out any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, working on her stress levels and using some herbs to help balance her hormones. Within a couple of months, her periods returned and a further test at her doctors showed that she was no longer ‘menopausal’.

During times of stress, the body starts to shut down the reproductive system in order to give that woman the resources she needs to cope with what is going on.

Agnus castus is very much the herb of choice when trying to bring back periods as it has a balancing effect on hormones.  (The one I would suggest is Agnus Castus Plus which also contains other helpful herbs – see Resources the Page).

Raspberry bushes are native to North America but are cultivated in other countries including Canada. Although it is best known for its delicious red berries, raspberry leaves have a number of medical applications. They have been used in connection with the common cold, sore throats, diarrhea, irregular periods and pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf tea acts as an astringent on irritated skin by tightening the top layers of skin or mucous membranes effectively reducing secretions, relieving irritation, and improving tissue firmness. As a mouth wash it is used to soothe mouth and throat irritations. In pregnancy it has been traditionally used to help with nausea, ease labour and delivery, and post- natal recovery.

Raspberry leaf should never be taken during the first five months of pregnancy because of the stimulating effect on the womb. It can be taken after this time, but is probably best being left until the final 2 months of pregnancy. In a study carried out in Sydney, Australia, 192 first-time mums were given at random either a 1.2g raspberry leaf tablet or a placebo twice a day from 32 weeks of pregnancy. Those women who had taken raspberry leaf tablets were found to have a shorter second stage of labour and a lower rate of forceps delivery (19.3% versus 30.4%).

If you want to make an infusion of raspberry leaf tea put 25g/1oz of the dried herb in a pot and pour on 600ml/1 pint of boiling water. Cover and infuse for 15 minutes. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb to a cup of boiling water. Start with one cup of tea a day or one tablet and build up gradually to a maximum of four cups of tea or tablets daily. The tea can be sipped freely during labour, too.

This hot and pungent root can be used fresh or dried and has been cultivated since ancient times. In Ayurvedic medicine, ginger is known as the ‘universal medicine’ and it’s not difficult to see why. The root and its essential oils have traditionally been used to calm the digestive system and treat rheumatic conditions, nausea and respiratory tract infections, and modern research can confirm many of these uses.

Clinical studies indicate that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting after operations, during pregnancy and in motion sickness. Its anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) properties are thought to be due to two powerful phytochemicals: gingerol, which give ginger its hot and spicy flavour, and shogaol. Together, these stimulate the flow of gastric secretions, bile and saliva as well as improving peristalsis and intestinal muscle tone – all of which improve digestion.

 

Animal studies confirm that gingerol has anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties, and a recent human trial found that using extracts of ginger to treat arthritic knee pain and immobility was significantly more effective than a placebo. Ginger has potent antioxidant properties, too, while its gingerol component is a known anti-carcinogen that reduces the activity in the body of nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF kappaB). NF kappaB is linked with a variety of inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, allergies, diabetes, MS, osteoporosis, psoriasis and cancer. Preliminary animal studies suggest that gingerol may inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer.

 

One placebo-controlled study found that ginger extract can also help to reduce abnormal blood clotting in people with atherosclerosis (which can restrict blood flow and potentially lead to thrombosis) and recent animal research highlighted its ability to lower blood pressure. It also has an antibacterial effect against the bacteria responsible for respiratory infections, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. Ginger may even be able to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Nutritionally, dried ginger is a good source of iron, with one tablespoon (5.4g) providing 7% of a man’s and 4% of a woman’s RNI and an excellent one for manganese, with one tablespoon meeting up to an impressive 143% of daily needs. Manganese is an essential co-factor in the potent antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as being important for bone health. Fresh ginger also contains good amounts of copper and epidemiological evidence suggests that high levels of SOD are linked to lower risks of cancer. Never mind ‘knock down ginger’ – it’s more like ‘pick me up ginger’!

Top Ginger Tips

Fresh or dried? For maximum flavour ginger is most often used fresh. The dried form is more potent than the fresh root, so you need less. Dried ginger tends to be used more in baking.

Preparing: Using it in cooking isn’t as daunting as you may think – simply peel off the outer skin and slice, chop or grate according to the recipe. If grating, squeeze the juice out of the woody pulp and discard what’s left behind. If you keep it in the freezer, you can grate it direct from frozen – ideal when making curries. There’s no need to peel.

Storing: Fresh ginger should keep for up to a couple of weeks in the fridge, but it’s best to wrap it to prevent it from drying out or becoming mouldy. Ginger also freezes well, either whole or grated into ice cube trays. Jars of grated or finely chopped ginger are a useful storecupboard standby when you’re out of the fresh.

Eating: The great news is that it doesn’t matter how you eat ginger – fresh, ground, dried, infused – include it in your everyday cooking and you’ll still reap the health benefits. Because of its origins, ginger is perhaps at its best in spicy Asian dishes, but also blends well with sweet and fruity ingredients such as lemon, pineapple and honey. 
If you have morning sickness or suffer from travel sickness, try nibbling on a piece of stem ginger.

Drinking: For something different, try a warming ginger tea: grate 1cm of fresh ginger into a warmed cup, add boiling water and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes. Strain off the grated ginger, add a little honey and freshly squeezed lemon to taste, and sip slowly. Blend a splash of aromatic ginger juice with apples, carrots and orange for a revitalising smoothie.

(Ginger is also available in supplement for those who do not like the taste or need a stronger version, the one I use in the clinic is called Ginger Forte – see the Resources Page).