Chinese Herbs Cool Hot Flashes

A small study published in Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, suggests that a Chinese herbal mixture called EXD
(Er-Xian Decoction) may ease hot flashes. Investigators recruited 100 women in their 40s and 50s who were experiencing menopausal symptoms. Half were randomized to receive the herbal tea while the other half got a placebo tea containing black tea, caramel and gardenin, an herbal ingredient not expected to have any effect on flushing.
The women tracked their daily number of hot flashes starting two weeks before treatment and continuing for the twelve weeks of the study. Those getting the placebo tea had a 50% drop in hot flashes while those receiving EXD had a 62% drop in symptoms. The intensity of the hot flashes also diminished. Although the effect was modest, it was statistically significant. There were no serious adverse events reported during the study.
The research was conducted in Hong Kong, where the six herbs that make up EXD are readily available. It may be some time before EXD becomes easy to find in North America.
[Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, Feb. 25, 2013]
For more on alternative approaches to menopause, you may want to listen to our 2009 interview with Dr. Christiane Northrup.