Menopause management: medical gaps and natural remedies

Menopause and perimenopause present significant challenges for women, including insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, and mood swings. Danish filmmaker Louise Unmack Kjeldsen highlights in her documentary, ‘The Secret of Menopause’, that millions of women face these symptoms in isolation, often due to a lack of adequate medical care and conflicting scientific information regarding hormonal replacement therapy.

Medical research has historically focused on the male body, leading to underdiagnosis or the trivialization of conditions affecting women. In some cases, women are prescribed antidepressants that fail to address the underlying hormonal shifts, whereas hormone replacement therapy might offer relief.

To manage symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, experts suggest lifestyle adjustments including regular exercise, adequate sleep, and dietary changes, such as reducing caffeine and alcohol. Herbal remedies are also noted as traditional supportive options; herbalist Jarmila Podhorná recommends plants like cranberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, lady's mantle, Chinese angelica, and cynanchum to support hormonal balance and organ function.