Study
confirms benefits of fennel in reducing postmenopause symptoms

Herbal medicine grows in popularity because of its effectiveness
without serious side effects

Date:

May 17,
2017

Source:

The
North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

Summary:

Fennel, an anise-flavored
herb used for cooking, has long been known for its health benefits for a
variety of issues, including digestion and premenstrual symptoms. A new study
confirms that it is also effective in the management of postmenopause symptoms such
as hot flashes, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, and anxiety, without serious
side effects.

Fennel, an anise-flavored herb used for cooking, has long been
known for its health benefits for a variety of issues, including digestion and
premenstrual symptoms. A new study confirms that it is also effective in the
management of postmenopause symptoms such as hot flashes, sleeplessness,
vaginal dryness, and anxiety, without serious side effects. The study outcomes
are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North
American Menopause Society (NAMS).

The use of complementary and alternative medicine for the
management of menopause symptoms has surged in recent years as women have
attempted to identify alternatives to hormone therapy (HT). Although HT is the
most effective treatment for managing most menopause symptoms, some women have
turned to herbal medicine because they are either not candidates for HT or are
concerned about the negative publicity surrounding potential side effects. Fennel,
an herb containing essential oils, has phytoestrogenic properties.
Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like chemicals in plants that have been used to
effectively treat a wide array of menopause symptoms.

In this small trial of 79 Iranian women aged 45 to 60 years,
soft capsules containing 100 mg of fennel were administered twice daily for
eight weeks. Improvements were compared between the intervention and placebo
groups at four, eight, and 10 weeks, with a significant statistical difference
documented. In the end, fennel was concluded to be a safe and effective
treatment to reduce menopause symptoms without serious side effects. The study
described in the article “Effect of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) on
menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women: a randomized, triple-blind,
placebo-controlled trial” is one of the first clinical studies to examine
the benefits of fennel for managing menopause symptoms, even though it had been
previously studied and confirmed to manage premenopause symptoms.

The study was completed in Tehran, Iran, where the average age
of women at menopause is younger than in the United States: 48.2 years versus
51 years, respectively. Some of the most common adverse effects of menopause
are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, joint and muscular
discomfort, exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, and depression.

“This small pilot study found that, on the basis of a
menopause-rating scale, twice-daily consumption of fennel as a phytoestrogen
improved menopause symptoms compared with an unusual minimal effect of
placebo,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of NAMS. “A
larger, longer, randomized study is still needed to help determine its
long-term benefits and side effect profile.”

Story Source:

Materials provided by The North American Menopause Society
(NAMS). Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.

Journal Reference:

1.    Fatemeh
Rahimikian, Roja Rahimi, Parvin Golzareh, Reza Bekhradi, Abbas Mehran. Effect
of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal
women. Menopause, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000881