Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Menopause

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine
• Women's health
• Menopause management

Background:

• Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly utilized for managing menopausal symptoms.
• Naturalistic approaches are sought by many women during menopause.
• Evidence-based review of CAM for menopause is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent studies on CAM for menopause.
• To provide insights into the effectiveness and safety of various CAM modalities.
• To focus on the biological domain of CAM, including supplements, botanicals, nutrition, homeopathy, and aromatherapy.

Main Methods:

• Evidence-based review of recent scientific literature.
• Focus on studies examining supplements, botanicals, nutrition, homeopathy, and aromatherapy.
• Analysis of efficacy, safety, and potential benefits of CAM therapies.

Main Results:

• Black cohosh and red clover are commonly used botanicals for menopausal symptoms.
• The efficacy and safety of these popular botanicals remain controversial.
• Further research is needed to understand their mechanisms of action.

Conclusions:

• CAM modalities are popular for menopause symptom management.
• The scientific evidence for the efficacy and safety of key CAM therapies is still developing.
• More research is required to validate CAM's role in women's health during menopause.