The efficacy of Iranian herbal medicines in alleviating hot flashes: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Hot flashes are the most common symptoms experienced by women around the time of menopause. Many women are interested in herbal medicines because of fear of side effects of hormone therapy. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of Iranian herbal medicines in alleviating hot flashes. MATERIALS AND METHODS MEDLINE (1966 to January 2015), Scopus (1996 to January 2015), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, issue 1, 2015) were searched along with, SID, Iran Medex, Magiran, Medlib and Irandoc. Nineteen randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Overall, studies showed that Anise (Pimpinella anisum), licorice (Glycyrrhizaglabra), Soy, Black cohosh, Red clover, Evening primrose, Flaxseed, Salvia officinalis, Passiflora itex Agnus Castus, Piascledine (Avacado plus soybean oil), St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), and valerian can alleviate the side effects of hot flashes. CONCLUSION This research demonstrated the efficacy of herbal medicines in alleviating hot flashes, which are embraced both with people and health providers of Iran Therefore, herbal medicine can be seen as an alternative treatment for women experiencing hot flashes.