Dr. Tori Hudson, N.D.

Several studies of St. John’s wort alone and St. John’s wort with black cohosh have been able to demonstrate that these products are good options for perimenopausal and menopausal women with hot flashes, mood issues, sleep problems and quality of life.
In the newest of the St. John’s wort studies in perimenopausal/menopausal women, a total of [...]

Chaste tree berry has been a very important plant for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. There are numerous studies that demonstrate this, and I have reported previously on the use of chaste tree berry for PMS. A very specific PMS use for chaste tree is for cyclical mastalgia, also called premenstrual breast pain/tender/lumpiness.

The [...]

The results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial using St. John’s Wort for PMS sufferers were recently published. 36 women with regular menstrual cycles who were diagnosed with mild PMS were randomly assigned to receive St. John’s Wort tablets (900 mg/day and standardized to 0.18% hypericin and 3.38% hyperforin) or placebo for two menstrual [...]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of St. John’s wort and chaste tree berry in the treatment of PMS-like symptoms in peri-menopausal women. This clinical trial was conducted over 16 weeks and information was collected at 4 week intervals rating PMS scores in peri-menopausal women who were experiencing [...]

This double-blind, randomized clinical trial, studied the effect of Hypericum perforatum extract (St. John’s wort extract) compared with placebo, on symptoms and quality of life of 47 symptomatic perimenopausal women aged 40 to 65 with three or more hot flashes per day. Women were randomly assigned to receive a St. John’s wort extract (900 mg [...]

The study was designed to compare the blood pressure lowering effects of sour tea (ST) -Hibiscus sabdariffa with black tea (BT) in type II diabetics with mildly high blood pressure.
Patients were randomly assigned to drink one cup of Hibiscus or black tea two times per day for one month. Each infusion contained one tea sachet [...]

Nausea and vomiting are the most common unpleasant symptoms during pregnancy. 50% to 90% of women experience these complications.
This study was a single-blind controlled randomized clinical trial in women up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Iran. 32 women received ginger and 35 received placebo. One ginger (250 mg) or placebo capsule four times per [...]

A recent study was done on students with PMS living in Tehran. Eighty-five women completed the study. Participants were given 40 mg three times daily of a standardized ginkgo extract or a placebo from day 16 of the cycle to day 5 of the next cycle. Self-administered questionnaires were used and a diagnosis of PMS [...]

Chinese women suffering from moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were studied in a prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel-group, multi-center clinical trial. A Vitex agnus castus extract, contained 4.0 mg of dried ethanolic (70%).
The mean total Premenstrual Syndrome Diary (PMSD) score decreased from 29.23 at baseline to 6.41 at the end of the third [...]

St. John’s Wort and menopause symptoms

St John’s wort was compared with a placebo in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial on symptoms and quality of life issues in perimenopausal women. Forty-seven 40 to 65 y.o. perimenopausal women who experienced three or more hot flashes per day were randomized to receive either 900 mg three times [...]