Herb Basics: Herb Tincture for Menopause Side Effects

This powerful herbal blend, created by herbalists Christopher Hobbs and Kathi Keville, helps to relieve the hot flashes and vaginal dryness that often accompany menopause.

• 1 teaspoon black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) tincture
• 1 teaspoon vitex (Vitex agnus-castus) tincture
• ½ teaspoon Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) tincture
• ½ teaspoon licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) tincture
• ½ teaspoon dong quai (Angelica sinensis) tincture
• ½ teaspoon motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture

1. Blend all of the tinctures in a small bottle.
2. Take ½ teaspoon of the blend in a little water three times daily.

Variations: To relieve water retention, add 1 teaspoon of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) tincture. To ease depression or anxiety, add 1 teaspoon of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) or California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) tincture—or ½ teaspoon of each.

Source: Hobbs, Christopher and Kathi Keville. Women’s Herbs, Women’s Health. Loveland, Colorado: Botanica, 1998.