Dr. Lynn Lafferty and Dr. Alexis Jurick

Since prescription female hormones hurt me, I have been on a quest to find a more natural way to balance my hormones. One of the interesting properties about whole foods and herbs is they come in a complete package. They seem to be more easily absorbed, digested, metabolized and used by the body than chemical compounds like drugs or chemical vitamins.

Although I find herbs to be very powerful hormone balancers, where they came from is important. Herbs, that work are usually not “cheap.” Because herbs are not regulated, some products can have very good medicinal properties, while other herbal products can have a drop of the herb or use a part of the plant without many active ingredients.

Where herbs come from are important, as well how they are extracted. Wild herbs are probably going to have the best ingredients as they are growing where they want to grow—with the right sunlight, water, and nutrients in the soil. Organically grown herbs, which have active ingredients monitored and verified, are excellent. These are the type of herbs I use and recommend to patients.

                                                                                          Dr. Lafferty

Wild Yam (Dioscorea Villosa):

Systems Affected: ¹

• Glandular
• Circulatory
• Digestive

Use: ^1-4

• Muscle spasms                                                Inflammatory condition
• Relief of IBS                                                     Natural alternative for estrogen replacement therapy
• Postmenopausal vaginal dryness PMS
• Dysmenorrhea                                                Infertility
• Osteoporosis                                                   Increasing energy and libido in both men and women
• Breast enlargement                                       Diverticulitis
• Gallbladder colic                                             Rheumatoid arthritis

Mechanism of Action: ^{1, 2}

• Enhances estradiol binding to estrogen receptors and induces transcription activity
• Postmenopausal women can have significant increases in serum estrone, sex hormone binding globulin, and possibly serum estradiol levels if they substitute 390 grams daily of wild yam for another staple food such as rice for 30 days
• Contains the glycoside diosgenin which is a steroid precursor once used for oral contraceptives. It continues to be used for the precursor of manufacturing progesterone contained in some “natural progesterone” cosmetic products
• According to Nutritional Herbology, the MOA is different for each person

Dosage and Standardization:⁵

• Oral: 250mg 1-3 times/day
• Dried root: 2-4g or 1-2 tsp/day
• Drops: 4-12 drops
• Liquid: 2-4 ml
• Tincture: 2-4ml 3-5 times/day

Black Cohosh (Cimifuga racemosa):

Systems Affected: ⁶

• Reproductive
• Nervous
• Respiratory
• Circulatory

Use: ^6-9

Oral:

• Menopause                       Inducing labor
• PMS                                 Dysmenorrhea
• Diarrhea                            Nervous tension
• Dyspepsia                          Rheumatism
• Fever                                Sore throat
• Cough                               Insect Repellent
• Mild sedative

Topical:

• Acne
• Mole and wart remover
• Improving appearance of skin
• Rattlesnake bites

Historical Uses:

• Scarlet fever, measles, smallpox, asthma, scrofula, St. Vitus’ dance, bronchitis, intercostal myalgia, sciatica, whooping cough, tinnitus, pericarditis, angina pectoris, gonorrhea in men, spermatorrhea, seminal emission, sexual weakness, dyspepsia, hysteria

Mechanism of Action: ^{6, 7}

• Phytosterin, isoferulic acid, caffeic acid, fukinolic acid, salicylic acid, sugars, tannins, long chain fatty acids, and triterpene glycosides, including acetein, cimicifugoside, and 27-deoxyactein are the active constitutes
• Fukinolic acid is a potent inhibitor of neutrophil elastase which explains black cohosh’s anti-inflammatory actions
• Some evidence suggests black cohosh might suppress pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone
• Partial agonist at serotonin receptors including 5HT-1A, 5HT-1D, and 5HT-7. Play role in reducing menopausal  symptoms
• Acetein constituent seems to have activity against HIV. Shown to decrease replication of HIV in lymphocytes in vitro
• Black cohosh extract (CR BNO 1055) seems to increase levels of bone specific alkaline phosphatase (bALP), a marker for bone formation, after 12 weeks of treatment
• Selective estrogen receptor modulating (SERM) effects. Preliminary evidence shows estrogenic effect on bone and suppress LH
• Black cohosh extract BNO 1055 seems to inhibit prostate cancer tumor development and proliferation-MOA unknown

Dosage and Standarization:⁸

Oral:

• 20-40mg twice daily

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Systems Affected: ¹⁰

• Digestive
• Nervous
• Lymphatic

Use: ^10-13

Oral:

• Loss of appetite                                             Excessive perspiration
• Dysmenorrhea                                                Diarrhea
• Headaches                                                      Gastritis
• Galactorrhea                                                  Reduction in saliva secretion
• Flatulence, bloating, and dyspepsia           Depression
• Cerebral ischemia                                          Memory enhancement
• Alzheimer’s disease

Topical:

• Herpes labialis
• Laryngitis
• Pharyngitis
• Stomatitis
• Gingivitis
• Inflammation of the nasal mucosa

Inhalant:

• Asthma

Mechanism of Action: ^{10, 11}

• Volatile oils of sage contain several active constituents that have pharmacological activity
• Rosmarinic acid, carvacrol, and lutealin have antioxidant properties
• Cirsiliol is a CNS depressant
• Linalool and alpha-terpineal have CNS depressant and anticholinesterase activity: animal studies show this activity
• May have hypoglycemic activity

Dosage: ¹⁰

• Fresh leaf: 2-4 tablespoons
• Dried leaf: 3-6 grams
• Extract: 4-5 grams dried herb
• Oral: 1g/day Alzheimer’s Disease
• Topical: Herpes labialis: 23mg/g

References

1. Pedersen M. Nutritional Herbology. 4^th ed. Warsaw: Wendell W. Whitman Company; 1998. Pages 172-173
2. National Medicines Comprehensive Database. Wild Yam. 2011; http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/nd/Search.aspx?cs=CP&s=ND&pt=100&id=970&fs=ND&searchid=26010120. Accessed on March 10, 2011.
3. Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/970.html#Dosage. Accessed on March 14, 2011
4. Wild Yam. University of Maryland Medical Center. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/wild-yam-000280.htm. Accessed on March 14, 2011.
5. Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa): Natural drug information. 2011; http://www.uptodate.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/contents/wild-yam-dioscorea-villosa-natural-drug-information?source=search_result&selectedTitle=1%7E22. Accessed on March 10, 2011.
6. Pedersen M. Nutritional Herbology. 4^th ed. Warsaw: Wendell W. Whitman Company; 1998. Pages 47-49.
7. National Medicines Comprehensive Database. Black Cohosh. http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/nd/Search.aspx?cs=CP&s=ND&pt=100&id=857&fs=ND&searchid=26010120. Accessed on March 12, 2011.
8. UpToDate. Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). 2011; http://www.uptodate.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/contents/black-cohosh-cimicifuga-racemosa-natural-drug-information?source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~121. Accessed March 12, 2011.
9. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Black Cohosh. Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BlackCohosh/. Accessed on March 14, 2011.
10. Pedersen M. Nutritional Herbology. 4^th ed. Warsaw: Wendell W. Whitman Company; 1998. Pages 149-150
11. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Sage. http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/nd/Search.aspx?cs=CP&s=ND&pt=100&id=504&fs=ND&searchid=26010120. Accessed on March 12, 2011.
12. Viable Herbal Solutions. http://www.viable-herbal.com/singles/Herbs/s529.htm. Accessed on March 14, 2011.
13. Herbal Safety. Sage.  http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/medical.asp?pk=18. Accessed on March 14, 2011.