According to a new study out of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), fennel is effective in the management of postmenopausal symptoms. Researchers found fennel to reduce hot flashes, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, and anxiety—all without serious side effects.
Fennel has been found to contain phytoestrogens, or estrogen-like chemicals. For this reason, the NAMS decided to study its use for the treatment of menopausal symptoms.
The NAMS looked at 79 Iranian women, aged 45 to 60 years. Each participant was given soft capsules containing 100 mg of fennel twice daily for eight weeks. In the end, fennel was concluded to be a safe and effective treatment to reduce menopause symptoms without serious side effects.
The study is one of the first clinical studies to examine the benefits of fennel for managing menopause symptoms.
“This small pilot study found that, on the basis of a menopause-rating scale, twice-daily consumption of fennel as a phytoestrogen improved menopause symptoms compared with an unusual minimal effect of placebo,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of NAMS. “A larger, longer, randomized study is still needed to help determine its long-term benefits and side effect profile.”
