Ayurveda for Menopause, PCOS and Irregular Periods: Evidence

Get irregular periods checked first

Irregular periods, long gaps between periods, new hair growth, acne or trouble getting pregnant can point to PCOS or to other conditions, and they deserve a medical assessment. The NHS lists irregular periods or long gaps between periods among the main symptoms of this hormone condition. [1] The NHS now calls it polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). [1] The NHS says there is no cure, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help symptoms. [1] Pregnant or possibly pregnant? Ask a clinician before using any herb: see Ayurveda in pregnancy.

What the Ayurvedic approach involves

Ayurvedic practitioners may use single herbs, compound formulas, cleansing procedures and diet and lifestyle advice for women's health. A 2023 scoping review of 57 articles on PCOS found that shatapushpa (dill seeds) and krishnatila (black sesame seeds) were the most used single herbs, and kanchanara guggulu and rajapravartini vati the most used compound formulas. [2] The review notes the most-used complex intervention was basti karma (therapeutic enema). [2] We do not describe that procedure here; it is practitioner-supervised in the tradition and not for home use. For wider context, see Ayurveda and women's health.

What the research found

Scoping reviews map what exists; they do not judge whether a treatment works. The PCOS review identified 57 articles: 32 case studies, 13 randomized trials, 9 pre-post trials, 2 case series and 1 non-randomized trial. [2] It also said that safety and adverse event reporting should be done rigorously and systematically in future research. [2] A separate literature review of Ayurvedic herbs for menstrual irregularity, PCOS, infertility and menopause critically assessed the methods of existing studies and pointed out research gaps. [3]

How to read the shatavari trials: they are small, one ran for 8 weeks, and each tested a particular root extract, which is not the same as a shop-bought powder. [4][5] Their authors call for longer studies with larger and more diverse samples. [4] We read abstracts only, so we cannot report who funded each trial. The combined-formula trial was open label, so patients and doctors knew the treatment. [7] Ask a pharmacist about every ingredient of a multi-part product.

What standard care offers

The NHS says HRT is the main treatment, with oestrogen as its main type, and lists non-hormonal options such as CBT for hot flushes. [8] On herbs, the NHS says red clover and black cohosh have very little evidence on how well they work or how safe they are, and that some herbal remedies may cause serious side effects with other medicines. [8] For PCOS, treatments include the combined pill and metformin. [1] See also hot flashes and PCOS.