Natural Remedies and Herbs for Women's Health

It is very important to make sure that our bodies are healthy and balanced, especially if you're a woman. The female body goes through so many changes throughout life, and throughout each change there are physical and emotional changes that occur.

It's very important to keep a balanced diet, get plenty of rest, relieve stress, and try to get as many vitamins and minerals as you can. Sometimes that can be hard and we just rely on prescription or over-the-counter medications, but these are not always the best for our body and they typically come with many more side effects than natural remedies.

There are medicinal herbs that you can take to help relieve symptoms of bodily changes and to ensure that the body stays healthy. For example, chaste tree berry, dandelion, dong quai, ginger, oat straw, nettle leaves, and raspberry leaves are great to help keep the reproductive system healthy; black cohosh, chaste tree berry, lemon balm, licorice root, milk thistle, and wild yam root, help to regular mood swings and emotions during times of hormonal changes.

There are many different herbs that can help aid the woman's body and health during times of physical and emotional change. Not all herbs will affect all women the same, so if you have any questions or if you are currently on other medications, it's recommended that you consult your doctor to see if you will have any herb to drug interactions, although it can be rare, it is possible with certain herbs.

Herbs are natural, safe, and have few to no side effects, but it is always recommended to let your doctor know what you are taking to aid your symptoms.

Popular herbs recommended for woman's health include chaste tree berry (vitrex), black cohosh, dong quai, raspberry leaves, and red clover blossoms.

PMS affects all women to some degree or another about a week or two before they actually start to menstrate. The symptoms will vary as will the degree of the symptoms, but in general PMS symptoms include fatigue, depression, bloating, mood swings, food cravings, tender breasts, emotional outbursts, headaches, cramping, and pimples.

If you keep a balanced diet high in fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, you can actually help get rid of the extra estrogen that causes the PMS symptoms. Otherwise, there are herbs that you can take to help relieve the symptoms of PMS.

• Birch leaf- relieve fluid retention
• Black cohosh- ease muscle pain and alleviates fluid retention causing bloating
• Bupleurum- abdominal tension
• Chaste tree berry- regulate menstrual cycle, relieve fluid retention, relieve acne, ease breast tenderness, aid headaches, relieve anxiety and depression, balance hormones and mood swings
• Chamomile- relieves muscle pain and cramping
• Corn Silk- relieve cramps, muscle pain, and reduce fluid retention
• Dandelion- reduce bloat
• Dong Quai- reduce cramps
• Fennel- relieve cramping and bloating
• Lemon Balm- soothe the nervous system
• Licorice Root- relieve cramping, stabilizes blood sugar to relieve mood swings
• Motherwort- relieve headache
• Peppermint- stabilize mood swings
• Raspberry Leaf- relieve cramping
• Wild yam root- relieve menstrual pain

Fertility problems aren't simple, but there are herbs that have been used throughout history to help a woman conceive. These herbs and herbal mixes help maintain normal hormones, tone the uterus, reduce stress, and balance sexual desire.

• Daminana- traditionally used to aid the nervous system, balance hormones, and increase sex drive (use over several weeks as a homemade supplement)
• Dong Quai- traditional fertility promoter. (use in tincture between ovulation and menstration only in combination with other herbs)
• False Unicorn Root- helps to alkalinize the ovaries, bladder, and kidney; traditionally used as a uterine tonic. Add about 5 to 15 drops a day to a tea.
• Red Clover- contains a lot of vitamins that are essential for the uterus as well as calcium and magnesium to relax the nervous system and relieve stress. (take the blossoms and make a tea, you can purchase dried blossoms, drink 1 cup a day)
• Nettle Leaves- nourishes the entire body, especially the adrenal glands, kidneys, and uterus. The leaves contain high amounts of chlorophyll and other minerals that are good at balancing the hormonal system. (make a tea out of the leaves and drink 1 cup a day)
• Raspberry Leaves- popular uterine tonic that is high in calcium. Combine with red clover for full effects of fertility.
• Saw palmetto- helps to nourish the entire reproductive system, as well as plump up atrophied or died areas of the ovaries, bladder, vagina, or breast.

While pregnant, it is always the best idea to make sure that your body stays nourished as it goes through many physical and emotional changes. It's ideal to take supplements throughout the pregnancy versus all at once in order to reap the full benefits because if you're not able to keep your body nourished while pregnant, you will find yourself experiencing other complications such as low blood sugar, constipation, hemorrhoids, anemia, pre-eclampsia, hypertension, backaches, and even severe labor pains.

• Raspberry Leaves- Most common herb for pregnancy, as it contains fragrine which will help tone the uterus and pelvic muscles. The leaves contain vitamins C, E, iron, and calcium, as well. Raspberry leaves will help prevent miscarriage, reduce spotting, ease nausea, prevent anemia, assist in breast milk production, and aid an easy delivery, as long as it is taken regularly.
• Nettle Leaves- contains nearly every vitamin and mineral that is essential for growth and development, as well as a high amount of chlorophyll. Raspberry leaves will help prevent hemorrhoids, postpartum hemorrhage, ease leg cramps, nourish the kidneys, assist in breast milk production, and stabilize hormone levels.

It is recommended that if you are pregnant or nursing you avoid or use the following herbs in moderation because they may cause or increase the risk of miscarriage, cause contractions, damage the fetal liver, or affect your body to some degree at crucial stages of fetal development. Some of the herbs are just too strong for a fetus to handle.

Just like adolescence, every women will experience menopause, as the body shifts. This is a major change in the female body, and can cause physical and emotional changes. Common symptoms of menopause include mood swings, hot flashes, depression, cold sweats, changes in sex drive, and changes in menstruation.

Similar to PMS, if you can maintain a balanced diet and control your stress levels, you can manage menopause without prescription medications. You want to keep your body nourished as these changes occur and the best method is naturally.

• Aloe Vera Gel- ease vaginal dryness
• Black Cohosh- relieve muscle pain, irregular bleeding, and headaches
• Blue Cohosh- relieve hot flashes
• Calendula- ease vaginal itching
• Damiana- increase sex drive and relieve hot flashes
• Dandelion Root- alleviate fluid retention, relieve breast tenderness, prevent weight gain
  
• Dong Quai- regulate reproductive system, protect heart, boost the effectiveness of other herb
• Ginseng- increase estrogen production and relieve hot flashes
• Red Clover- relieve abdominal pain, reduce night sweats, reduce hot flashes, regulate menstrual cycle
• Sarsaparilla- increase sex drive
• Nettle Leaves- increase urination and alleviate blurred vision
• Valerian- relieves tension and insomnia

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licensed physician. If you have any questions, please consult your doctor to find the best method to soothe your symptoms of PMS, pregnancy, or menopause, or assist in fertility concerns.