Kylie James | Koru Nutrition Inc.

Could You Have Adrenal Fatigue?

by Kylie James | Feb 10, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

Do you struggle with difficulty getting up in the morning, experience mid-afternoon crashes, seem fatigued all the time, or feel depressed? Then you, like many other people that live in the hustle and bustle of the western world, might be struggling with a condition called adrenal fatigue.

These last couple of years has been a physical and emotional strain on all of us with lockdowns, online schooling, inability to participate in sports, socialize with friends and family, job stressors, toxic people, financial constraints from reduced income, relationship strain, loss of a loved one, and just the fear of the unknown and the future. The plethora of ongoing stressors can have a direct impact on our hormones and puts us at risk of adrenal fatigue.

What Is Adrenal Fatigue?

Although we need an element of stress in our lives, when stress becomes intense without any breaks – this can become a problem. Stress can be in any form – physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, infectious, etc. Because our adrenal glands are responsible for managing our stress response, any kind of stress is going to affect your adrenals.

Adrenal fatigue is a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms that result from being under prolonged stress. After constantly being overworked, the adrenal glands can become exhausted. This can lead to adrenal fatigue, which in turn can impact every organ and system in your body! Adrenal fatigue can vary from mild to severe.

Because fatigue is correlated and present with so many other health related conditions, the actual diagnosis of adrenal fatigue is often overlooked by medical practitioners.

Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
Continued fatigue throughout the day not relieved by sleep
Craving for salt or salty foods
Increased effort to do everyday tasks
Decreased sex drive
Decreased ability to handle stress
Increased time to recover from illness, injury or trauma
Lightheaded when standing up quickly
Mild depression
Less enjoyment or happiness in life
Increased PMS
Symptoms increase if meals are skipped or irregular
Brain fog, less focused
Poor memory
Decreased tolerance to things, more irritable
Don’t really feel awake until 10:00am, afternoon slump between 3-4pm, and feel energized after 6:00pm or after dinner
Decreased productivity, taking longer to complete tasks and finding it harder to stay on task

How Do I Get Assessed For Adrenal Fatigue?

This condition often gets overlooked by medical practitioners because the signs and symptoms can be caused by other health conditions such as depression or thyroid conditions. Naturopathic doctors are skilled in testing for adrenal fatigue through analyzing stress hormone levels. If you are approaching your family doctor or a naturopathic doctor to assess you for adrenal fatigue; one of the best tests to determine if adrenal fatigue is present is saliva hormone testing for cortisol 4 times during the day and testing for DHEA-S.

How To Correct Adrenal Fatigue

Our recommendations for addressing adrenal fatigue are based on three things – lifestyle changes, diet and supplementation.

1. Lifestyle

There are many simple lifestyle changes that can be incorporated into day-to-day life to help reduce stress and promote a sense of calmness and relaxation. For example:

Take a bath with Epsom salts
Epsom salts are high in magnesium and are easily absorbed through the skin to promote a sense of relaxation before bed.
Laughter
We’ve all heard laughter is the best medicine, right? Laughing can help change hormones as it reduces stress in the body. So, watch a comedy show and joke with friends.
Exercise
Exercise can also have many health benefits such as reducing depression, losing weight, releasing feel-good endorphins and promoting sleep. But, it’s important to be aware of avoiding intense exercise if you have adrenal fatigue as this will put too much stress on the body. The best exercise should be enjoyable and ideally should be a combination of aerobic, anerobic and flexibility.
Other ideas for stress reduction include listening to relaxing music, taking a hike through nature, mediation, yoga, implementing positive affirmations, deep breathing, and scheduling out time for yourself.

2. Diet

Diet is crucial in supporting the adrenals glands to prevent or manage adrenal fatigue. One of the key factors to supporting your adrenals is balancing blood sugar levels. The reason for this is that not only when blood sugars drop will you tend to reach for unhealthy snacks such as a candy bar or a doughnut, but your body naturally produces the stress hormone cortisol to raise blood sugars back up. The last thing we need when we are stressed is more cortisol!

To balance blood sugar levels each meal should be balanced with a protein, good fat and a complex carbohydrate. We’ve written more about balancing blood sugar levels here.

Supporting the adrenals requires a focus on a nutrient-dense, whole foods. A whole foods diet is high in vegetables (at least 7-8 servings a day) in a variety of colours; low glycemic fruits; gluten-free whole grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, oats or millet; as well as high quality protein sources such as fish, grass-fed beef, poultry, eggs, and various plant based proteins such as beans and legumes.

Top 5 Foods To Support The Adrenal Glands

If you’re looking for specifics, our top 5 foods to support the adrenal glands include:

Fatty fish such as wild salmon and sardines
These fatty fish contain omega-3 fats which have anti-inflammatory properties that may help counteract the negative effects of stress (vi).
Check out our Rosemary Walnut Crusted Salmon, Grain-Free Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta, or our Crockpot Cod & Sea Veggie Soup for recipe inspiration!
Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard
Leafy greens are rich in folate that is needed to produce dopamine and serotonin, our pleasure inducing neurotransmitters that help keep you calm (vii).
Recipes like our Herb & Greens Chicken Sliders and Green Muffins can help you sneak in more greens!
Fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut
Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria that may positively impact your mood and brain health (viii).
Our Yogurt Nut Clusters provide a creative way to enjoy a fermented food! (You can use dairy-based yogurt, or a dairy-free yogurt of your choosing.)
Seeds such as flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
Seeds as a group are great sources of Magnesium, which acts as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is important for improving mood (viiii ).
To incorporate more seeds into your diet you could try our Cinnamon Flax Pudding Parfait or our Berry Beet Smoothie Bowl.

To find out more about how nutrition impacts your health, Koru offers comprehensive individualized nutrition programs.

3. Supplements

When your body is under chronic stress it uses up key vitamins and minerals a lot more quickly. This is especially true for those nutrients that the adrenal glands rely on to function such as B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C may be the most important nutrient for the adrenal glands because your body uses vitamin C to make cortisol. The more cortisol you make, the more vitamin C that gets used up. Vitamin C is essential to the adrenal hormone cascade and acts as an antioxidant within the adrenal gland itself.

Also, vitamin C is water soluble, so it gets used up in the body more quickly. Because of this, it is very difficult to “overdose” on vitamin C. Therefore, you can take vitamin C is larger quantities, basically until bowel tolerance (the point at which it causes loose bowel movements). We recommend slowly increasing dosage until you get to this point and then scaling back slightly.

B Complex – B vitamins absorb and work better when taken together. B vitamins are very important for energy production, which is something that you desperately need when suffering from adrenal fatigue. When looking at taking a B Complex it’s good to make sure that it contains the following: 50-100mg of B6, 75-125mg of B3, 200-400mcg of B12, , and 1500mcg a day of pantothenic acid (may need to get this from an individual bottle of 500mcg 3 times a day).

Magnesium – Magnesium is our anti-stress, anti-anxiety mineral. Magnesium promotes relaxation. It is also essential to making enzymes and energy necessary for the adrenals and for adrenal recovery.

Most adults benefit from consuming 400mg of magnesium a day. Magnesium is often taken after 8:00pm at night.

Calcium – Calcium is an important mineral to help calm the nervous system down and is also used up quickly under stress.

Take 750-1000mg a day best take after 8:00pm at night for best absorption and to help aid in sleep.

Summary

If you are struggling with chronic fatigue, inability get up in the morning, reduced sex drive, and/or difficulty sleeping… then you may be struggling with adrenal fatigue.

To help reduce your symptoms and work toward healing it may help to focus on balancing your blood sugars; taking Vitamin C, a B complex, as well as calcium and magnesium supplements; and exploring ways to reduce and manage stresses in your life by making lifestyle changes.
Making small changes can go a long way to helping you feel better. If you feel overwhelmed or feel like you would benefit from extra support, then please reach out to us. You do not need to suffer alone.

References:

i. Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: A population-based study. M.H.M.De MoorA.L.BeemJ.H.StubbeD.I.BoomsmaE.J.C.De Geus. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ii. Sleep Med. 2010 Oct;11(9):934-40. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.014. Epub 2010 Sep 1. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Reid KJ1, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC.

iii. Wasantha P. Jayawardene, Mohammad R. Torabi & David K. Lohrmann (2016) Exercise in Young Adulthood with Simultaneous and Future Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 35:1, 59-67, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1022268 iv. Biol Psychiatry. 2009 May 1;65(9):728-31. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.10.011. Epub 2008 Nov 22. Intranasal oxytocin increases positive communication and reduces cortisol levels during couple conflict. Ditzen B1, Schaer M, Gabriel B, Bodenmann G, Ehlert U, Heinrichs M. v. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009 Mar;101(3):243-50. The association between perceived social support and health among patients at a free urban clinic. Cadzow RB1, Servoss TJ.

vi. Antidepressant-like effects of uridine and omega-3 fatty acids are potentiated by combined treatment in rats Carlezon, William A. et al. Biological Psychiatry , Volume 57 , Issue 4 , 343 – 350

vii. The association of folate and depression: A meta-analysis.

viii. Stress & the gut-brain axis: Regulation by the microbiome.

viiii. Role of Magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial

Calming Tea

by Kylie James | Feb 3, 2022 | Recipes

Sipping a warm cup of herbal tea can help tame stress or lull you into a restful sleep.

Having a bedtime routine that nourishes you mind, body, and spirit is essential to managing stress, reducing anxiety, and promoting good quality sleep.

This Calming Tea is not just beneficial in the evenings, though. Try the Calming Tea recipe below the next time your mind and body need a break.

There are 5 herbs included in our Calming Tea recipe:

Passion flower has traditionally been used to reduce anxiety and insomnia. Some studies indicate that passionflower increases GABA production in the brain, leading to a relaxed feeling (1). GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that is also increased by mindfulness practices like yoga or meditation.

Lemon balm has traditionally been used to boost mood, reduce stress, and even to improve cognitive function (2). Studies have shown that lemon balm is not only effective for managing stress, but also for reducing restlessness and improving sleep quality (3). Outside of the therapeutic benefits, lemon balm’s light and citrusy scent adds such a pleasant flavour to this tea blend as well!

Lavender is one of the most well-known herbs world-wide. It is renown for its calming qualities! While lavender has dozens of traditional uses, most applicable to this Calming Tea is lavender’s affinity to reduce anxiety, improve mood, induce sleep, and improve stress tolerance (4). Plus, it smells amazing!

Chamomile is almost synonymous with Calming Tea! Many of our grandparents swore by the calming properties of chamomile. With a little scientific research, we now know that chamomile has some other exciting benefits including protection against certain cancers and improving heart health (5). Specific to this Calming Tea blend, however, we’ve included chamomile not only for the calming effects but for it’s ability to help balance blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are imbalanced, this causes stress within the body and can make us feel off kilter. So, rebalancing blood sugar levels can help us feel centred again.

Because the plants are related, for those with ragweed allergies, it may be best to omit the chamomile from this recipe.

Hibiscus is a packed with antioxidants that give it a gorgeous deep pinky-red colour. Antioxidants can help reduce stress on a cellular level in the human body. Hibiscus is tart and floral and ties together the other flavours of this tea in a beautiful way. The addition of hibiscus makes this Calming Tea truly enjoyable to sip!

We hope you can make this Calming Tea a regular part of your self-care routine. Enjoy!

References:
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/calming-effects-of-passionflower#calming
2. https://www.healthline.com/health/lemon-balm-uses
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711306000250?via%3Dihub
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/what-lavender-can-do-for-you

Calming Tea

A cup of this warm and soothing Calming Tea is an excellent way to begin a wind-down routine in the evening.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings 1 serving

Ingredients

2 parts Passion Flower
2 parts Lemon Balm
1 part Lavender Blossoms
1 part Chamomile
2 parts Hibiscus Flowers

Instructions

In a glass container with an airtight lid, combine the herbs together. You can make the batch as small or as large as you would like.
Boil water and pour it into a mug. Place 1 teaspoon of your blend in a tea ball or bag and place it in the mug.
Allow to steep, covered, for 5-7 minutes for maximum benefits.
Take a few deep breaths, and enjoy!

Classic Pot Roast

by Kylie James | Jan 12, 2022 | Recipes

For many people a pot roast is reminiscent of Sunday dinners with the family.

A few minutes spent in the morning, or the night before, on prep and it can sit in your crockpot or Instapot so you will be rewarded with a lovely meal at the end of the day.

Round out your meal by adding in a tossed salad, or some steamed broccoli – and dinner is on the table in a flash, with built in leftovers for lunches! This roast is even better the next day.

As we discuss in depth in our Nutrition Simplified article, consuming all four macronutrients – complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and fibre – at each meal is a foundational concept for a healthy diet. With this recipe, we wanted to highlight how truly simple (and comforting, and delicious!) eating macronutrient balanced meals can be.

Root Vegetables such as carrots provide a source of complex carbohydrates within this dish. Complex carbohydrates are important sources of energy for our bodies.

Beef provides complete proteins needed by the body. If possible, look for grass fed beef because they tend to be leaner and therefore, contain less calories. Proteins help build, repair, and maintain our body’s tissues, plus they make the antibodies that boost our immune system, fight infections, carry oxygen throughout the body, boost metabolism, and reduce food cravings.

Olive oil provides a source of healthy fats, primarily monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). MUFAs are known to be heart-healthy and has benefits such as improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease. Including healthy fats in a meal increases satiety, and helps you feel fuller for longer.

Of course, beef contains fats as well; and if you have chosen a grass fed animal product, you’ll be getting even more healthy fats! Grass fed beef tend to contain lower amounts of saturated fats and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, and higher amounts of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats such as Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA).

Onions contain about an equal amount of soluble and insoluble fibres. Generally speaking, fibre helps faciliate regular bowel movements and providing an important source of fuel for the good bacteria in our guts. Specifically, soluble fibre acts similarly to a “sponge” soaking up water and toxins to carry them out of the body; and insoluble fibre acts almost like a “broom”, sweeping food along the digestive tract to keep it moving.

Lastly of note, cinnamon helps balance blood sugar by lowering insulin resistance.

A pot roast might seem like an indulgent comfort-meal. But, with these healthy ingredients, balanced macronutrients, and simple crock-pot preparation… you can’t go wrong! We hope you enjoy this.

Classic Pot Roast

For many people a pot roast is reminiscent of Sunday dinners with the family. A few minutes spent in the morning, or the night before, on prep and it can sit in your crockpot or instapot so you will be rewarded with a lovely meal at the end of the day.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

3-4 lbs roast ideally grass feed, chuck or round
1 lbs carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
2 sweet vidalia or yellow onions roughly chopped
1 lbs root vegetables of choice golden beets, parsnips, or turnip all work
2 stalks celery cut into 2" chucks (optional)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 tsp sea salt to taste
1 tsp pepper freshly ground is best
1 tsp dried thyme optional
1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon optional
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 cups beef broth or bone broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp starch arrowroot or tapioca work well
2 tbsp cold water
½ cup parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions

Combine salt, pepper and dried spices. Season roast with spice blend on all sides.
Optional - Heat oil in a skillet. Sear the roast, browning each side for 4 – 5 minutes. Searing helps seal in the moisture, though if you are pressed for time, you can skip this step with little loss of flavour.
To your slow cooker add carrots, onions, root vegetables, celery (if using), and garlic.
Place meat on top of vegetables in the crock pot, then add the broth and balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, pour off the liquid, through a mesh strainer, and into a medium pot. Heat over medium-high heat, bringing to a simmer.
In a small bowl combine water and starch, mixing to blend smooth. Add starch mixture to the medium pot, stirring to blend and thicken the gravy.
Pour gravy over beef and vegetables and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 694

Carbs: 15g

Fibre: 4g

Sugar: 8g

Protein: 45g

Fat: 50g

Nutrition Simplified: 4 Easy Steps

by Kylie James | Jan 12, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

Do you have goals to eat better, lose weight, or address a nagging health condition?

Most of us have goals related to our health, and many of those goals require changes to our nutrition. But, there is so much noise about how to eat well, it can be overwhelming!

So, to help you achieve your goals we’ve put together a simple list of 4 things to include with each meal that will set you up for success. This concept will streamline all your meal choices from here on out, and help you meet your goals. And it’s easy, we promise!

But first, a little background information…

Macronutrients

If we tell you that “macro” means large, the term “macronutrient” becomes fairly straightforward! Macronutrients, in short, are nutrients we need in large quantities.

Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, and water (although water intake is a topic for another article!).

The Standard North American Diet (SAD)

Unfortunately, the Standard North American Diet (SAD), tends to include large amounts of highly-processed foods usually simples carbohydrates loaded with sugar and additives which often results in low intake of protein and fibre. Imbalanced intake of macronutrients and consuming low-nutrient foods contributes to the development of many “diseases of civilization” such as heart disease (1), cancer (2), obesity, diabetes (3), digestive disorders (4), infertility, and mood disturbances including anxiety and depression (5).

The Balanced Meal Equation
To create a balanced meal, you want to ensure you’re consuming each of the necessary macronutrients; which will naturally reduce glycemic load. Glycemic load is the measure of how quickly sugars enter your blood stream. The goal is to have gradual increases in blood sugar, with sustained energy over time; rather than the huge spikes and crashes caused by the SAD. To accomplish this, it’s as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4!

Keep reading and we’ll give you some ideas about how to implement this concept, as well as what benefits you’re likely to experience from consuming all the macronutrients at each meal.

Complex Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates are digested mainly in the mouth as enzymes in our saliva break down these compounds into sugars that our body uses for short bursts of energy. Complex carbohydrates include categories of foods such as vegetables (excluding potatoes and corn) and whole grains (not refined flours), as well as beans and legumes, which are a lesser-known source.

Proteins

Protein is used for building, repairing, and regenerating muscles; and also make up the structure of nearly all body tissues. Proteins are digested mainly in the stomach, and typically take between 2-4 hours to pass to the small intestine for further absorption. Animal based foods such as meat, poultry, or egg whites provide high quality proteins. There are many plant-based sources of proteins as well including nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, and pseudograins such as quinoa or amaranth.

Good Quality Fats

Fats don’t make us fat! Quite the opposite is true. Fats are a part of every cell membrane of our bodies, they make up the majority of our brain and eyes, assist in hormone production, and aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Fats are digested within the small intestine. Healthy fats that come from things like olive oil, coconut oil, fish, hemp, flax and avocado are critical to support the brain, hormone function, and stabilize energy.

Fibre

Fibre is a macronutrient found in carbohydrate-rich foods. There are two main types of fibre – insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve in water, and soluble, that does. Both types of fibre support our digestive function by promoting regular bowel movements and providing important sources of food to the good bacteria living in our guts. Insoluble fibre acts like little brushes, sweeping food through the intestines, while soluble fibre acts like little sponges helping to absorb toxins within the digestive tract and carry them out of the body as waste.

Fibre is not digestible and passes through our digestive system intact. Vegetables are a preferred source of fibre, and ideally 50% of each meal should be based around various vegetables. Some other ideal sources of fibre include whole grains, beans and legumes, many seeds such as flax or chia, and berries.

But, What About Special Diets?

One of the biggest benefits to following this 4-step dietary guideline is that it applies to every human on the planet regardless of their dietary preferences, ancestry, religious affiliations, beliefs about animal welfare, or health conditions. Every single one of us needs to consume all four of these macronutrients.

Within this frame work, you are able (possibly with the assistance of a nutritionist or dietitian) to adjust the ratios of macronutrients at a more advanced level to work for your beliefs and preferences whether you’re following a ketogenic diet, are vegan or vegetarian, or anything in between.

But, for most individuals in North America, just having an awareness of these four macronutrients and including them all at each meal is a huge step in a positive direction!

Top 5 Health Benefits of Consuming All Macronutrients

Balanced Blood Sugar Levels

Blood sugar spikes caused by consuming refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and baked goods) and sugars, or meals with imbalanced macronutrients (for North Americans that typically due to meals lacking in protein and/or fibre) lead to an increased output of the hormone insulin (which is pro-inflammatory), along with other undesirable outcomes like further cravings, and rapidly changing blood sugar levels. A “blood sugar roller coaster” is the cause of many common symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, nervousness, and irritability. Because protein and fat are digested more slowly, and further down the digestive tract than carbohydrates, they help to regulate blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugars into the blood. Staying off that blood sugar roller coaster helps protect against many chronic diseases including high cholesterol, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Weight Loss

When macronutrient needs are well met satiety is increased, making you feel fuller longer. This can have positive impact on metabolic rate as well, increasing calorie burn without added exercise. By reducing glycemic load, the body is also required to produce smaller amounts of insulin to keep blood sugar levels at normal levels. Because insulin is our “fat storage hormone” supporting the body to naturally require and produce less insulin can benefit weight loss and weight management strategies greatly.

Improved Mood

When macronutrients are balanced at each meal, we have all the building blocks for happy hormones like serotonin and endorphins. Plus, we’ve all been “hangry”, right? Staying off that blood sugar roller coaster also means less blood sugar crashes that can lead to feeling anxious, depressed and irritable.

More Energy

A well-balanced diet means your body is better able to turn food into fuel, and that your cells communicate more effectively. When consuming balanced macronutrients energy levels tend to be higher and more stable.

Reduced Inflammation

A high-fibre diet can help reduce inflammation by modifying the pH in the gut, reducing gut permeability, and supporting our good bacteria. A diet including adequate amounts of all macronutrients also helps reduce inflammation because of lower insulin secretion. Although it serves many valuable biological purposes, in addition to being our “fat-storage hormone”, insulin is also pro-inflammatory.

How To Consume All Macronutrients At Each Meal

Here, we’re outlining some simple meal ideas that include complex carbohydrates, protein, good quality fats, and fibre just to get you started with imagining what these macronutrients would look like on your plate!

Steel cut oats with ground flax seed and raw nuts
Mixed green salad with chicken breast and olive oil vinaigrette
Roast beef with root vegetables
Shrimp and vegetable stir fry
Smoothie with spinach, protein powder, MCT coconut oil, and chia

In Summary
This is not complicated, it’s as simple as can be! Improving our diets can start with increasing our individual and collective awareness of the macronutrients we require from our foods, and doing a little mental 4-point checklist at each meal to ensure we have our bases covered.

If you feel you would benefit from one-on-one support to move your diet to a more balanced state, please reach out or book an appointment, we’re here to help!

References

4 Herbs To Help With Menopause

by Kylie James | Dec 20, 2021 | Koru Nutrition Blog

Managing the symptoms of menopause can be a very challenging time for women. During menopause the common symptoms experienced by women include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, reduced sexual drive, decreased bone density, weight gain as well as changes to mood. Experiencing these symptoms can be very disruptive to daily life and as a result, women across cultures have long searched for remedies for these intrusive symptoms. This article will focus on plant-based teas and supplements, and what the current research says about their potential to help manage menopause-related symptoms.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil (EPO) is a common supplement used by menopausal women to address their symptoms. EPO is extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose plant and has been shown to have many health benefits. The reason health professionals believe it is beneficial for women’s health, including the management of menopause symptoms, has to do with its high concentration of healthy fatty acids. To learn more about how healthy fats help regulate menopause symptoms, take a look at our article about Nutrition Strategies To Help Manage Your Menopause Symptoms.

Specifically, EPO has become popular for its treatment of hot flashes. In a 2013 study, 56 menopausal women were provided with two daily EPO supplements for six weeks. The study showed that there was improvement in hot flash severity, and a smaller improvement in frequency, and duration of hot flashes (1). It is hypothesized that EPO produces these effects by lowering blood pressure, however more research is needed to test this hypothesis. The research on EPO however is mixed, as a 2010 literature review concluded that other the counter medication include EPO does not have consistent evidence to support its effectiveness in hot flash management (2).

Most often EPO supplements come in the form of a capsule. Check with a qualified health professional to see if this would be appropriate for you.

Ginseng Tea

Ginseng typically refers to the root of a group of related slow-growing plants. This herb has been used in traditional medicines for centuries for its various health benefits such as strengthening the immune system, regulating blood sugars, and assisting in the management of menopausal symptoms.

In one study, 72 women were supplemented with ginseng daily for 12 weeks. Afterwards, the women had improved scores on the menopausal symptom questionnaires including the Kupperman Index and Menopause Rating Scale (3). These questionnaires focus on vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and flushes, as well as mood symptoms such as nervousness and depression. As a result of daily ginseng supplementation, the women also showed other health benefits such as lower cholesterol levels (3).

Ginseng has been shown to not only be effective in the management of menopause symptoms, but also in managing the functional implications of these symptoms. Menopausal women often report lower libido and poorer sexual experiences. One study evaluated how ginseng supplementation improved sexual function for menopausal women. 31 participants received three ginseng capsules daily. This supplementation significantly improved self-reported scores of sexual function and arousal, indicating that ginseng may be an effective alternative medicine for improving the sexual life of menopausal women (4).

Ginseng can be taken as a supplement in the form of a tablet or can be consumed as a tea, although with teas it is difficult to know if you are receiving a therapeutic dose. Before taking ginseng, you should speak with your family physician or naturopathic doctor to ensure there are no possible interactions with any medications you may be taking, such as medications to lower your blood sugar, or particular classes of antidepressants.

Red Clover

Red clover is an herbaceous flower that historically has been used to help manage varying health conditions including menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, low bone density, and also has positive effects on high cholesterol. The reason red clover is believed to be effective at managing these symptoms is because it contains phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are molecules made in plants, that have a similar chemical composition to estrogen, which declines in women during menopause. To read more about phytoestrogens and why they may be recommended for menopausal women, check out our menopause article.

The evidence for the effectiveness of red clover in managing menopause symptoms is mixed. In one study, 177 menopausal women took supplementation of red clover phytoestrogens for 12 months. Bone density was found to be significantly higher in the group that took the red clover supplement compared to the placebo group (5). In another study, 60 menopausal women received red clover supplement for 90 days. Women who received the supplement showed improved scores on the Kupperman Index and experienced decreased menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats (6).

While the above studies demonstrate positive results, a broad-scope literature review found that red clover appears to “have at best only minimal effect on menopausal symptoms” (7). The apparent mixed results in the literature demonstrates that if you, your loved one, or your client, is wishing to try red clover supplementation for management it’s a good idea to check with your health professional to make sure this is the right fit for you!

Black Cohosh

One of the most popular supplements for women’s health is black cohosh. Black cohosh is a flowering plant that has been shown to have multiple benefits for women’s health including the management of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), improving the effectiveness of fertility, improving menstrual cycle regulation, and managing menopause symptoms. It can be taken either as a tablet or made into a tea.

Similar to red clover, black cohosh contains phytoestrogens, which are thought to mimic the actions of estrogen in the human body, and therefore mitigate symptoms related to menopause. One study enrolled 80 menopausal women to receive black cohosh supplement for 8 weeks. This trial showed that black cohosh was able to reduce both the severity and frequency of hot flashes (8). Not surprisingly, these study participants reported that when taking the supplement their quality of life increased as well, likely due to their better managed symptoms (8).

In a separate study of 174 women, 32 received black cohosh supplementation while 143 received menopausal hormonal therapy. Both groups showed improved menopausal symptoms indicating that black cohosh supplementation may be a feasible alternative for menopausal women, in place of hormonal therapy (9).

In addition to the physical symptoms of menopause, consuming black cohosh also has benefits for the mental health of menopausal women. A recent systematic review recently examined a variety of herbal medicines for their efficacy on managing symptoms of depression and anxiety. With supplementation of black cohosh, the authors noted a reduction in psychological symptoms associated with depression and anxiety in menopausal women (10).

In Summary

While there are many herbal medicines with evidence to support menopausal symptoms, it is important to always consider potential complicating factors, such as other medications you may be taking. Before consuming any herbal medicines, it is smart to speak with your health care professional, such as a naturopathic doctor about what is best for you. Whether it be through a tablet supplement or an herbal tea, herbal medicines may be a helpful solution for better managing your symptoms related to menopause.

References

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