25+ Herbal Remedies for Menopause [Updated for 2022]

• ashwagandha
• black cohosh
• Health & Wellness
• hormone
• Maca
• reproductive health
• weight gain

Experiencing hot flashes? Mood changes? Insomnia? These are some common menopause symptoms you might deal with.

But why put up with this discomfort for months on end, if you can get natural relief and feel much better just by using some herbal remedies?

Let’s take a look at the 25+ most effective herbs for menopause and their benefits so you can easily choose the right ones for you.

Let’s dive in!

25+ Herbal Remedies for Menopause

#1. Dong Quai

You can take Dong Quai if you experience hot flashes. In combination with chamomile, Dong Quai can reduce your hot flashes by 96%. The plant has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years for feminine health-related issues.

Dong Quai is also used as a supplement for PMS relief and balancing estrogen levels.

Don’t take Dong Quai if you’re having surgery soon. It’s also not a suitable supplement if you’re on blood-thinning medications or have blood clotting issues.

You can take Dong Quai as a supplement or tea.

#2. Go With The Flow

Go With The Flow is a hormone balance supplement that contains the herbs Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, Chasteberry, and Maca.

This herbal mix can improve your hormone balance (which is often disrupted during menopause) and can alleviate any irritability, mood swings, and emotional unease.

While Dong Quai, Chasteberry, and Black Cohosh work towards boosting your estrogen levels and alleviating your menopause symptoms, Maca improves your libido and reproductive health.

Take 2 capsules daily with food.

#3. Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh is another popular herb used against hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.

This plant, native to North America, has been used for hundreds of years for menopause symptoms and menstrual cramps. It’s recommended for women who experience early menopause.

Black cohosh can also improve your sleep quality and mood because it mimics the way serotonin and dopamine affect your brain.

You can take black cohosh as a tea or in pill form.

If you start experiencing headaches, reduce the dose you’re taking. Avoid using black cohosh if you have liver or blood pressure problems.

#4. Korean Ginseng

Korean ginseng can improve your mood swings and your sex life. It increases your libido and also improves the quality of sleep.

Korean ginseng is helpful if you experience a lot of stress and can also reduce hot flashes and their symptoms.

Because Korean ginseng improves your vitality, do not take it if you drink a lot of coffee and caffeinated drinks. Doing so might result in irritability, anxiety, and jitteriness.

Also, do not take Korean ginseng if you have heart and blood pressure problems or you’re on blood-thinning medications.

Take Korean ginseng for no more than 2 to 4 weeks. You can take it as a tea, supplement, or an extract.

#5. Maca

Maca is an adaptogen herb that can balance your hormones.

Additionally, Maca improves your libido and can even alleviate some menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.

Apart from that, Maca can increase bone health, preventing you from developing osteoporosis (which is a common problem in many post-menopausal women).

Other health benefits of Maca include improvement in memory and cognition and reduced anxiety and depression symptoms.

Maca is packed with many essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You can take Maca in its powder form or as a supplement.

The recommended dosage is 2 capsules a day.

#6. Chasteberry

Chasteberry (also known as Vitex) is widely used for premenstrual symptoms. This makes it a great herbal remedy for women in their perimenopause phase (the period before menopause) when you might experience more irregular and heavy menstrual cycles.

Chasteberry also aids in the reduction of some menopause symptoms like sleep irregularities, night sweats, and mood swings.

You can take Chasteberry as a supplement, tea, or as an essential oil extract or cream.

#7. St John’s Wort

St John’s wort is often used for menopause symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, and depression symptoms.

The effects are even better if you combine St John’s wort with black cohosh. This way, you can significantly reduce your hot flashes and their symptoms.

You can take this herb in pill form. However, consult your doctor if you’re taking any other medications because St John’s wort can reduce their effect.

#8. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a great complementary supplement you can take during menopause, especially if you’re under constant stress.

Ashwagandha is an ancient adaptogenic herb that can balance your hormones, improve your mood, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.

By placing your body into a more relaxed state, Ashwagandha also improves any sleep disturbances you might experience due to the high stress levels.

Other health benefits include improved cognition, lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and reduced inflammation in your body.

The recommended dosage is 3 capsules a day.

#9. Valerian

If you have trouble falling or staying asleep during menopause, you can take Valerian.

Valerian can help you relax your body and mind so you can ease into sleep. This way, you get better, uninterrupted sleep during the night.

This herb can also help you if you’re feeling stressed and anxious in the transition between your perimenopause and menopause stages.

Because Valerian has anti-inflammatory effects, it can also help you if you experience joint pain, a common complaint for many women in their post-menopausal stages.

You can take Valerian as an extract, herbal supplement, or tea before bed.

#10. Red Clover

Red clover contains phytoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds found in plants) and it can boost your estrogen levels during menopause.

Red clover is also used for hot flashes and night sweats. This herb is most effective for post-menopausal women.

Other health benefits include improved bone and heart health and shinier skin and hair.

You can take red clover as a tea or as a supplement.

#11. Sage

You might know sage as a traditional culinary spice, but it can also relieve menopause symptoms.

The active compounds in sage have estrogen-like properties and can reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.

After eight weeks of taking a sage supplement, you can observe a reduction in hot flashes instances by up to 64%.

Apart from taking sage as a supplement, you can also make an aromatic and soothing herbal tea with sage leaves.

#12. Red Raspberry Leaf

Red raspberry leaf is another helpful herb for women in their perimenopause and entering the menopause period.

Red raspberry leaf is packed with several nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins (such as iron) that can alleviate premenstrual cramps and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Such symptoms are common for women transitioning to menopause. This herb can significantly reduce these symptoms.

You can take a red raspberry leaf extract as capsules or as a tea.

#13. Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil can significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.

This herbal extract is rich in omega-6 and linoleic acids too. For perimenopausal women, it can relieve PMS symptoms of irritability, depression, and breast tenderness.

Evening primrose oil can also improve your heart health and reduce bone and nerve pain.

Do not take evening primrose oil with blood thinners.

You can find the herbal extract in pill form.

#14. Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba is a plant that contains phytoestrogens and can give you an estrogen boost during your menopause.

Ginkgo Biloba is also known to increase sexual desire (which often decreases during and after the menopause period). The plant is also very helpful for treating PMS symptoms like mood swings and headaches that often occur in the perimenopause phase.

You can take Ginkgo Biloba as a pill or tea. Avoid this herbal supplement if you experience blood clotting problems.

#15. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm has been used for thousands of years to relieve anxiety and sleeplessness. It’s also a very useful herb for the treatment of headaches, indigestion, and reducing menstrual cramps.

To help you fight off menopausal insomnia, you can take lemon balm in combination with valerian root right before going to bed.

You can take it as a supplement or an herbal tea.

#16. Passionflower

Passionflower, also known as Passiflora, has a calming effect (similarly to Valerian) and it can improve sleep irregularities you might experience during menopause.

It’s also known to relieve symptoms like tension, irritability, muscle pain, and anxiety.

You can take Passionflower as a tea or as an herbal supplement.

#17. Shatavari

Shatavari is another women’s health herb that can increase your libido and is also great for your skin. Its antioxidant and anti-aging properties make it a great herbal supplement for women entering menopause.

It can also alleviate symptoms of depression and reduce inflammation.. Shatavari acts as a natural diuretic that can help you release retained water faster.

You can take Shatavari as a tincture, in powder form, or as a supplement.

#18. Linseed

Linseed (also known as flaxseed) contains the phytoestrogens known as lignans. These phytoestrogens naturally boost estrogen levels in your body and improve your hormone balance.

Linseed can reduce the risk of breast cancer in women by up to 18%.

Other health benefits include lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels.

You can sprinkle 2 spoonfuls of crushed linseed on top of your oatmeal, salad, or yogurt. Linseed also contains high levels of dietary fiber, nutrients, protein, and omega-3. As such, it’s a great addition to your diet.

#19. Tribulus

Tribulus is better known as an herb that aids proper sexual function in men. However, Tribulus can be quite effective in increasing the libido in postmenopausal women too.

It’s because Tribulus contains estrogen-like active compounds that positively affect your sexual desire.

Tribulus is also used for pain relief, inflammation, and improving your immune system strength.

You can take Tribulus in capsule form.

#20. Wild Yam

Wild yam is believed to reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Wild yam has anti-inflammatory effects and is often used to treat arthritis.

The herb contains the active ingredient diosgenin, an element closely related to progesterone and estrogen, and is often used in the hormone production industry.

Usually, this remedy comes in the form of a wild yam root cream you can apply on your body. Contrary to common belief, wild yam’s active ingredients are not converted into estrogen in the body. Also, its effectiveness is not yet proven.

#21. Hops

Hops are the popular ingredient used in beer making . However, hops can also alleviate menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and anxiety.

Hops contain phytoestrogen active compounds that might help increase your body’s estrogen levels.

You can take hops as a supplement. However, women who had or have breast cancer or depression should avoid using this herb because it might trigger more severe symptoms.

#22. Astragalus Root

Astragalus root can fight off typical night sweat symptoms during perimenopause and menopause phases.

Astragalus is also a great supplement used to strengthen your immunity, reduce the risk of breast cancer, diabetes, and different heart and lung diseases.

This herbal remedy can be very helpful if you’re under a lot of stress that might weaken your immune system.

Astragalus root is available as an extract, tincture, tea, and a supplement.

#23. Licorice

Licorice has estrogen-like compounds that can increase your estrogen levels. It is also used to treat hot flashes in women entering menopause.

Licorice is believed to shorten the length and severity of hot flashes, night sweats, and stress levels.

Licorice can also reduce the risk of certain types of cancer like breast and skin cancer.

The plant has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. You can take licorice as a supplement or tea.

However, do not take it before you consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure or take any sort of medication.

#24. Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea is a powerful adaptogenic herb that can reduce stress and tension while it also normalizes your hormone levels.

It’s known to relax the body and mind while fighting off symptoms of depression present in some women going through menopause.

It also supports your brain function and enhances physical endurance, making it a great supplement for your postmenopausal phase.

You can take Rhodiola Rosea as a supplement or tea.

#25. Schisandra

Schisandra reduces menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, depression, irritability, and sleep irregularities.

It’s also very helpful for reducing symptoms of tiredness and boosting your energy levels and immunity. Schisandra is also helpful in preventing memory loss and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Due to its antioxidant properties, Schisandra is known as an anti-aging herb in traditional Chinese medicine.

You can take Schisandra in pill or powder form.

#26. Kava

Kava is an evergreen plant from the South Pacific Islands.

The plant’s roots are mainly used to decrease anxiety and improve sleep, making it a suitable herb for menopause symptoms like stress, irritability, and sleep issues.

You can take Kava as a supplement, tincture, or tea. However, people with liver injuries or taking liver medications should avoid taking Kava.

#27.Green Tea

Green tea can support bone health in women experiencing menopause. It also stimulates metabolism, making it helpful for women prone to gaining weight during menopause (when metabolism naturally slows down).

You can take green tea leaf extract as a supplement or tea. You can also find a decaffeinated form of green tea in case you suffer from anxiety and irritability.

#28. Horny Goat Weed

Horny goat weed (also known as Barrenwort) is a popular herb used for increasing both men’s and women’s libido.

Apart from improving symptoms of sexual dysfunction in menopausal women, horny goat weed is beneficial for overall hormone balance. This can alleviate any rapid hormone changes during menopause and stabilize your estrogen levels.

Horny goat weed can also prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women because it improves bone health and relieves joint pain. It also has anti-aging properties due to its high content of amino acids and healthy fatty acids.

You can take horny goat weed in pill form or as a tea.

Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before starting a new herbal supplement. This way, you’ll be able to select the right herb(s) and dosage. In turn, you can reap the most benefits and prevent any unwanted side effects or interference with your current medication.

Conclusion

There are many herbs that provide a natural and effective way to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and irritability.

To choose the right herbs for menstrual symptoms relief specific to your needs, always consult your doctor.