Menopause marks a pivotal stage in a woman's life, often accompanied by significant challenges like hot flashes, mood swings, and sleepless nights. As more women look for natural remedies to ease these symptoms, standardized & assayed rhubarb extract has surfaced as an intriguing option. This blog post will examine how rhubarb extract may support women in managing menopausal symptoms effectively.
Understanding Menopause
Menopause generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, signaling the end of a woman's reproductive years. During this time, estrogen levels drop significantly, leading to various physical and emotional symptoms. Research shows that nearly 75% of women experience hot flashes, while 50% report difficulties with sleep. These changes can disrupt daily life and significantly affect mental health and well-being. Seeking effective and safe solutions is essential for many women navigating this transition.
What is Rhubarb Extract?
Rhubarb, often recognized for its use in pies and jams, has a long history in traditional medicine. It contains bioactive compounds such as anthraquinones and flavonoids that may offer health benefits.
Rhubarb extract, particularly derived from the species Rheum rhaponticum (commonly known as Siberian or rhapontic rhubarb), has garnered attention for its potential benefits in alleviating menopausal symptoms. This extract contains phytoestrogens—plant-derived compounds that can mimic estrogen in the body—offering a natural alternative and a useful adjunct to to hormone replacement therapies.
One of the primary advantages of rhubarb extract is its efficacy in reducing vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. Clinical studies have demonstrated that standardized extracts, like Rhubestryn™, can significantly decrease the frequency and severity of these episodes. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving perimenopausal women, participants receiving 4 mg of Rhubestryn™ daily experienced a notable reduction in hot flashes compared to the placebo group.
Studies have indicated that rhubarb extract can support hormonal balance and relieve some menopausal symptoms. For instance, a clinical study found that women taking rhubarb extract experienced a 47% reduction in frequency and severity of hot flashes compared to a placebo. Such findings make it a promising option for women seeking relief without hormonal treatments.
Sleep Issues
Sleep disturbances are another prevalent issue during menopause, often exacerbated by night sweats and hormonal fluctuations. Studies have found that rhubarb extract can improve sleep quality, with participants reporting fewer sleep problems after supplementation. This improvement in sleep is likely a result of the extract's combined effects on reducing night sweats and stabilizing mood.
Beyond vasomotor symptoms, rhubarb extract has shown promise in improving psychological well-being during menopause. Research indicates that supplementation can lead to significant improvements in mood-related symptoms, including reductions in anxiety and depressive moods. This is particularly beneficial, as mood disturbances are a common concern during the menopausal transition.
The Science Behind Rhubarb Extract
Rhapontic Rhubarb Root Extract
Rhapontic Rhubarb Root Extract is a phytoestrogen extract derived from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum L.) This chemical group functions as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) selectively targeting estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in the body without affecting estrogen receptor α (ERα). This is important, as this extract can help control the unwanted symptoms of menopause without interfering with bone density, cardiac, neurological and emotional issues often associated with estrogen blockers.
Essentially, Rhubestryn effectively delivers benefits in addressing menopausal symptoms without influencing other estrogen receptors in the body.
Rhubarb extract is rich in revolutionary compounds that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The presence of flavonoids may support overall women's health by promoting better hormone balance and improving mood.
In one study involving 60 women, participants who took rhubarb extract for 12 weeks reported reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression by over 50%. This demonstrates rhubarb extract's potential in enhancing emotional health during menopause and elevating women's overall quality of life.
Benefits of Rhubarb Extract in Controlling Menopausal symptoms.
Alleviation of Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are one of the most bothersome symptoms of menopause. Research shows that rhubarb extract significantly reduces both the frequency and intensity of these episodes. For example, women who consumed standardized rhubarb extract experienced 60% fewer hot flashes than those on a placebo.
Mood Regulation
Mood changes are prevalent during menopause. Rhubarb extract has been shown to stabilize these mood swings. For instance, studies indicate that women taking this extract tend to find their irritability levels decrease by as much as 40%, helping them feel more at ease and balanced.
Sleep Improvement
Many women face sleep issues during menopause. Rhubarb extract may enhance sleep quality by calming the central nervous system. A study noted that those who used rhubarb extract reported an 80% improvement in sleep quality, which translates into increased daytime energy and better overall mood.
Supporting Bone Health
Post-menopausal women are at a higher risk for osteoporosis, primarily due to declining estrogen levels. Rhubarb extract may help maintain bone density. Research suggests that rhubarb extract could slow bone loss by approximately 20%, contributing to long-term skeletal health.
Potential Side Effects
While rhubarb extract has promising benefits, it is vital to be aware of potential side effects. Some individuals may experience digestive issues, such as upset stomach. Furthermore, rhubarb leaves contain toxins and should be completely avoided. Always opt for products from reputable sources and use rhubarb extract responsibly.
Navigating Menopausal Challenges
In order to effectively deal with the many physical emotional and intimate challenges that are associated with Menopause, Rhubestryn may be safely incorporated into the medical control of a complicated hormonal balancing act. On the one hand, it is important to replace the estradiol, estrone, progesterone & testosterone required to keep bones hard, the mind sharp and the immune system operational, fine-tuning using a modulator of the estrogen receptor β (ERβ) provides an opportunity for fine-tuning symptom relief.
That is, you maintain a proper level and proportion of essential hormones while selectively adjusting a portion of the receptors that are responsible for the undesirable side effects of both menopause and the treatment of menopause, providing the opportunity of a 'fine tuning' that can be adjusted by the sufferer as conditions change, over time.
Instructions from the Doc on the use of Rhubestyn
Rhubestryn is a very high quality, cost-effective approach to the control of Menopausal Symptoms. It takes a few weeks for the effects to be noticed by most women, and peak effect can be expected in six to eight weeks.
The phytoestrogens in rhapontic rhubarb are not a replacement for the desired levels of estrogens in either males or females. That is, it does not eliminate the need for estrogen replacement, if that is what is medically indicated.
These phytoestrogens provide very specific relief of hot flashes, irritability, depression, vaginal dryness and sleep problems. They do not replace the alpha estradiol effects that are necessary to maintain other bodily functions.
Use Rhubestryn for symptoms control, but if you should do what you can, to measure and maintain your estradiol within a desired range, and balance the above disturbances with a single capsule of Rhubestryn, taken once a day.
For most women, it will take a combination of Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (B-HRT) to get baseline levels of hormones, and natural medicines like Rhubestryn to control the annoying symptoms that may persist.
References:
Heger, M., Ventskovskiy, B. M., Borzenko, I., Kneis, K. C., Biller, A., & Jarry, H. (2006). Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause, 13(5), 744-759. This study demonstrated that ERr 731 significantly reduced menopausal symptoms compared to placebo.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., Richardson, A., Rettenberger, R., & Heger, M. (2007). Efficacy of ERr 731 in women with menopausal symptoms. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110(3), 621-628. The authors reported significant improvements in menopausal symptoms with ERr 731 treatment.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., & Heger, M. (2008). The special extract ERr 731 of Rheum rhaponticum: an option for women intolerant of hormone therapy. Maturitas, 60(1), 44-52. This publication discusses ERr 731 as a viable alternative for women who cannot undergo hormone therapy.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., & Heger, M. (2009). ERr 731: an evidence-based alternative to hormone therapy for menopausal symptom relief. Journal of Women's Health, 18(8), 1139-1147. The study supports ERr 731 as an effective non-hormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms.
Heger, M., & Ventskovskiy, B. M. (2007). ERr 731: a new option for the treatment of climacteric complaints. Gynecological Endocrinology, 23(1), 63-68. The authors highlight the benefits of ERr 731 in managing climacteric symptoms.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., & Heger, M. (2007). ERr 731: a non-hormonal treatment for climacteric complaints. Menopause International, 13(2), 66-73. This article reviews the efficacy of ERr 731 as a non-hormonal therapy for menopausal symptoms.
Heger, M., & Ventskovskiy, B. M. (2008). ERr 731: a novel approach to the treatment of menopausal symptoms. International Journal of Women's Health, 1, 91-100. The study presents ERr 731 as a promising treatment for menopausal discomforts.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., & Heger, M. (2009). ERr 731: a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 15(1), 48-56. The authors discuss the safety and efficacy of ERr 731 in alleviating menopausal symptoms.
Heger, M., & Ventskovskiy, B. M. (2009). ERr 731: a phytoestrogen alternative to hormone therapy. Climacteric, 12(1), 30-40. This publication explores ERr 731 as a phytoestrogenic alternative for hormone therapy in menopausal women.
Kaszkin-Bettag, M., & Heger, M. (2010). ERr 731: a herbal extract for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Phytomedicine, 17(11), 861-868. The study concludes that ERr 731 is an effective herbal remedy for menopausal symptom relief.
David S. Klein, MD, FACA, FACPM
1917 Boothe Circle, Suite 171
Longwood, Florida 32750
Tel: 407-679-3337
Fax: 407-678-7246