Menopausal Formulas

I have recently stopped using the HRT patch and would like to try to take care of my menopausal symptoms naturally. I recently read about a product (product name deleted) containing Vitex, Wild Yam, Saw Palmetto, Maca and Fenugreek. Would a combination of all these herbs benefit me with menopausal hot flashes and any other symptoms? After reading many articles on how and what to use it can get a bit confusing. I would appreciate your comments.

We cannot comment on specific products. The herbs that you list are used in menopausal formulas. The processing and quality of the herbs determines how effective the formula will be. I agree that all the literature available can be confusing. Your best bet for an effective formula is to use a product from a small company with a herbalist on staff. Such companies are the most likely to know and care about the quality of the herbs used in the products. A good health food store will have knowledgeable staff who can help you to make this choice. The herbs that you mention are used for the following purposes:
Vitex agnus castus acts on the pituitary gland to increase progesterone. Progesterone is usually low in menopausal states, and this is a factor in many menopausal symptoms.
Wild yam supports the liver, which processes hormones in the blood stream. If the liver is "too busy" with its other functions, some of the hormones do not get processed and excreted, but remain in the blood stream, causing a hormone imbalance
Saw Palmetto is nourishing to the hormone-producing glands
Maca is claimed to be of use in menopausal symptoms.
Fenugreek nourishes the hormone-producing glands.
For more information on herbs, diet and books for menopause, please see our website at www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then enter "menopaus" for one search and "hot flash" for a second search.