There is little or no evidence to back claims that herbal treatments can alleviate the symptoms of menopause, according to a medical review published on Wednesday.
The paper appears in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, published by the British Medical Association (BMA).
It looks at clinical studies into plants whose extracts are becoming increasingly popular among women eager to ease mood swings, tiredness, hot flushes, loss of libido and other outcomes of the hormone changes that occur at menopause.
The main herbs are black cohosh (Actaea racemosa); red clover (Trifolium pratense); dong quai, also spelt as dong gui (Angelica sinensis); evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) and ginseng (Panax ginseng).
The authors say much research falls short of scientific criteria when it comes to assessing these herbs for effectiveness and safety.
For instance, the number of participants in many studies is too small, and the duration of the trial is too short to get a definitive answer.
Of those trials deemed acceptable, the evidence is equivocal for black cohosh, they say. Some trials suggest the herb is beneficial, while others suggest it is not.
Watchdogs in Britain have given "traditional herbal registration" to a product containing black cohosh as a menopausal treatment, but have also said women who take the plant should be warned of its potential toxicity for the liver.
"There is no convincing evidence that red clover extracts have a beneficial effect (and) there is little evidence for or against benefit with other herbs commonly used for menopausal symptoms, such as gong quai, evening primrose oil, ginseng, wild yam, chaste tree, hops and sage," the paper adds.
The review notes that herbal products can be easily purchased at shops or over the Internet and are often assumed to be "safe" on the grounds that they are "natural."
"In reality, herbal medicines have pharmacological actions, and so can cause unwanted effects and have potentially dangerous interactions with other medicines," both herbal and conventional, it warns.
Copyright 2009  AFP Global Edition
