Homeopathy for menopause: insights into neuroendocrine effects

Homeopathy for menopause: insights into neuroendocrine effects

Menopause is a natural period of life that marks the end of a woman's childbearing years. It often brings unpleasant symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings. Many women are looking for gentle treatment methods, including homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies (HMs) have long been used to relieve these conditions, although there is a lack of extensive clinical research in this area. It is not known exactly whether and how these agents work at the neuroendocrine level, i.e. to what extent they can influence hormones and the nervous system to improve menopausal symptoms.

Research has focused on better understanding the changes that occur during menopause, particularly how neuroendocrine changes can influence hot flashes and mood swings. It was investigated whether certain homeopathic remedies that are often prescribed for menopausal symptoms could have an effect on the nervous and endocrine systems. The research showed that changes in gonadal hormones that occur during menopause affect neurotransmitter systems. This plays a role in mood disorders and body temperature regulation. It was discovered that some homeopathic remedies had anti-anxiety effects in rodent models, which may suggest that they could also have a similar effect in humans.

The conclusion of this research suggests that homeopathic remedies may be able to directly or indirectly trigger neuroendocrine effects in the body, possibly through a yet unknown biological mechanism. However, many questions in this area remain unanswered, meaning that further pre-clinical and clinical research is necessary to confirm these hypotheses.

These findings could lead to homeopathic remedies being recognized as an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms in the future if their action and effectiveness are supported by further research. This would also mean that doctors and health care providers may reconsider their current practices and increasingly consider homeopathic remedies to support women going through menopause.

Basic terms and concepts:

• Menopause: Die Lebensphase einer Frau, in der sie aufhört, menstruativ zu sein, was das Ende der Fortpflanzungsfähigkeit kennzeichnet.
• Neuroendokrine Wirkung: Einfluss auf das Nerven- und Hormonsystem.
• Homöopathische Mittel (HMs): In der Homöopathie verwendete Substanzen, die darauf abzielen, Heilung durch die Verwendung von stark verdünnten Mitteln zu fördern, von denen angenommen wird, dass sie im Körper ähnliche Symptome wie die zu behandelnde Krankheit hervorrufen.
• Gonadenhormone: Hormone, die von den Geschlechtsdrüsen produziert werden und u.a. die Fortpflanzung und sexuelle Funktion beeinflussen.
• Neurotransmitter: Chemische Botenstoffe im Nervensystem, die Informationen zwischen den Nervenzellen übertragen.

Neuroendocrine effects of homeopathic remedies for menopausal symptoms

Investigating the possible neuroendocrine effects of homeopathic remedies (HMs) on menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms and mood changes is the focus of this research. In particular, the analysis of the mode of action of two commonly prescribed homeopathic remedies for menopausal symptoms illustrates the scientific interest in a more precise understanding of the use of homeopathy while considering the neuroendocrine level.

methodology

For this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on the pathophysiology of menopause, depressive changes, as well as current evidence for the effects of HMs in relation to menopause and depression. The research sheds light on the neuroendocrine changes associated with vasomotor symptoms and mood changes during menopause. Among other things, the role of gonadal hormones and their influence on neurotransmitter systems were examined.

Main results

Neuroendocrine changes have been found to play an essential role in the pathophysiology of menopausal symptoms. Gonadal hormones, acting on neurotransmitter systems, are involved in both mood regulation and temperature regulation. The study of and showed that these substances can cause anxiolytic effects in animal models. Additionally, common squid (Sepia officinalis) ink contains dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood regulation.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the hypothesis that homeopathic remedies that help improve menopausal symptoms in daily practice may trigger direct or indirect neuroendocrine effects in the body. These effects could be mediated via previously unknown biological mechanisms. The research results suggest that further pre-clinical and clinical research is necessary to answer the questions raised and to further understand the neuroendocrine mechanisms of action of homeopathic remedies in menopause.

The findings presented underline the importance of sound clinical and preclinical research in this area to explore the potential neuroendocrine mechanisms of action of homeopathic remedies on menopausal symptoms and to expand the therapeutic applications of these alternative forms of treatment.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37399836