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Nature heals: Which medicinal herbs women can use

21.3.2024

Translation: machine translated

There is a herb for typical female ailments such as PMS or hot flushes - and not just one. Find out which medicinal plants you can trust here.

Women and naturopathy make a good team. Surveys such as this one from Switzerland and this one from Germany show: Women are more open to complementary medical procedures than men.

Apart from this, complementary medicine is experiencing an upswing not only in the private practice environment or in self-medication, but also in the inpatient environment: this recent survey for hospitals in southern Germany, for example, revealed: "According to their websites, the vast majority of acute hospitals in Bavaria also appear to use complementary medicine procedures in therapy, particularly for psychological indications and in obstetrics and gynaecology."

From folk medicine to phytotherapy: nature heals

Since ancient times, people have relied on the effects of herbs, shoots, buds, seeds and fruits. And the millennia-old knowledge of scholars from the Arab world and China has also survived to this day. Modern phytotherapy, according to this "Small Dictionary of Plant Medicine", states that "today, phytotherapy utilises the healing powers of plants (phyton, Greek = plant) in precisely controlled medicines", whereby it is "based on scientific principles. It has its roots in folk medicine, in which the long tradition of using the healing properties of plants has remained alive to this day."

Not least Dr Franziska Rubin knows that nature is good at using herbal remedies to support the body in (self-)healing. Franziska Rubin, a doctor of human medicine and bestselling author. In Germany, she is one of the best-known advocates of naturopathy - but without pitting complementary medicine against conventional medicine, on the contrary. In her book "Die bessere Medizin für Frauen" she writes: "My experience is that the "better medicine" is the combination: on the one hand of university medicine, which sees us as individuals, and on the other, naturopathic, complementary medicine from all over the world."

Doctor Heide Fischer, a specialist in women's naturopathy, co-founder of the women's health movement in Germany and author of the "Frauenheilbuch", wants to build a bridge between the different schools. So that women "don't feel they have to choose" - between conventional medicine on the one hand and naturopathy on the other.

Die bessere Medizin für Frauen (German, Franciska Ruby, 2021)

Guidebooks

EUR20,–

Die bessere Medizin für Frauen

German, Franciska Ruby, 2021

Frauenheilbuch (German, Heath Fishermen, 2020)

Guidebooks

EUR20,–

Frauenheilbuch

German, Heath Fishermen, 2020

Nonetheless, every disease needs a proper diagnosis, emphasises Fischer. And don't forget: As herbal remedies work, they can also have side or undesirable effects. If you are unsure, it is better to seek advice from a doctor or pharmacy in advance. And ideally, inform the doctors treating you about the use of medicinal plants.

These medicinal plants help with women's ailments

Many herbs can be used to treat minor aches and pains or typical female ailments. You can find out how to use these herbs in the phytorecipes of the Austrian Society for Phytotherapy. The information can be used to prepare teas, rinses and other remedies in the pharmacy. However, you can also trust the information provided by doctor Fischer, who presents these medicinal plants in her book, among others:

Bayberry leaves for cystitis

A painful bladder or urinary tract infection affects women significantly more often than men. Every second woman suffers at least one cystitis in her lifetime. According to Fischer, treatment depends on two things: "Flushing therapy and urinary disinfection." The bladder must be "flushed" with diuretic plants to make it more difficult for germs to take hold. At the same time, herbs disinfect the urine.

For step 1, prepare a medicinal tea from goldenrod, field horsetail, nettle leaves, dandelion herb and birch leaves (available from pharmacies) in equal parts and drink three to five cups a day. To disinfect the urine, the second step is to take bearberry leaf tea from the pharmacy.
Due to its high tannin content, make the tea cold to prevent stomach irritation and nausea. Please use a maximum of 40 grams of tea per day, for a maximum of one week. Pregnant women should not drink the tea as it can trigger labour pains. Because, according to Fischer, bearberry leaves work best in alkaline urine, drink 1 teaspoon of baking soda per ½ litre of water throughout the day in addition to the tea. Avoid acidifying substances such as coffee, black tea, juices and carbonated mineral water for the duration of the treatment.

Yarrow for menstrual symptoms

Abdominal pain herb, healer, haemostatic herb or also known as Achilles' wort: There are many exciting stories about yarrow and the old saying "Yarrow in the womb is good for every woman" also exists. The antispasmodic, haemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects of yarrow have been known in many cultures for a long time. However, as is often the case in naturopathic medicine, there are no large-scale or comparative studies. However, there is one study on the pain-relieving effect of yarrow on menstrual pain (dysmenorrhoea). And this study confirms the wound healing powers of the medicinal plant duo yarrow and camomile.

Frauenheilkundlerin Fischer recommends the herb for painful regular bleeding as a tea mixture in this form: brew yarrow, lady's mantle and cinquefoil from the pharmacy in equal parts to make a tea. Drink three cups a day five days before your period and a maximum of five cups during your period. She also recommends a liver compress with yarrow tea during menstruation. To do this, prepare 3 teaspoons of yarrow tea in a large cup of water, soak a tea towel in it, wring it out and place it on the right ribcage. Secure with a warm woollen cloth and leave to work with a hot water bottle for 20 minutes while lying down

Sitz baths with yarrow can also help with abdominal pain. Pour a litre of boiling water over 100 grams of herb and flowers and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain the plant parts and mix the brew with a good 20 litres of warm water for the sitz bath.

Silver primrose for menopausal symptoms

Latinised as Cimicifuga racemosa, black cohosh is known as "women's root" in American folk medicine. Nowadays, women often use cimicifuga during the menopause to counteract symptoms such as excessive sweating and hot flushes.

There have been decades of research into this medicinal plant in modern phytotherapy, as referred to in the Pharmazeutische Zeitung and the Zeitschrift für Phytotherapie.

If women want to avoid hormone treatments for menopausal symptoms, black cohosh has good effects, as this study shows. However, it is not a tea that is used, but preparations made from the rhizome of black cohosh, which are available to buy as a ready-to-use medicine.

If you are also interested in which medicinal plants can be used for specific male diseases and complaints, you can read about them here:

Background information
Medicinal plants for men: Natural help for prostate problems, hair loss and potency disorders
by Moritz Weinstock

Header image: shutterstock

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Mareike Steger

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oliver.fischer@digitecgalaxus.ch

I could've become a teacher, but I prefer learning to teaching. Now I learn something new with every article I write. Especially in the field of health and psychology.

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Nature heals: Which medicinal herbs women can use

From folk medicine to phytotherapy: nature heals

These medicinal plants help with women's ailments

Bayberry leaves for cystitis

Yarrow for menstrual symptoms

Silver primrose for menopausal symptoms

Medicinal plants for men: Natural help for prostate problems, hair loss and potency disorders

These articles might also interest you

Weight loss: can ketones really turbocharge your metabolism?

Tea, sugar and a SCOBY – how to brew kombucha

How to live longer with the right diet

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