Support needed for menopausal change.

Rusty asks: “I have been taking a nettle seed tincture for over a year for adrenal, hormonal and kidney support. I’m also 52 and am going thru menopause and have been retaining water. Can you offer any advice?

First of all Rusty, welcome, to the change in life where we go from being a woman to being a wise-woman or “crone”. Our culture does not honor this change like many indigenous cultures do, but we should because as women, we become older and wiser and have greater courage and strength than ever before.

I cannot say what is causing your water retention; however, I will say that taking only one herb (via tincture or tea) for a long time is probably not the best practice. Here are some herbs that support the kidneys along with stinging nettles: hydrangea root (Hydrangea arborescens), horsetail (Equisetum arvense), goldenrod leaf (Solidago spp.), celery seed (Apium graveolens) to name a few.

In terms of supporting our bodies from stress and indirectly, from hormonal changes, we look to herbs that work through and support the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal). These herbs are known as “adaptogens” and there are many. Here are a handful that taste great as a tea: ashwaganda root (Withania somnifera), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), (Asparagus racemosus).

Finally, as we go through hormonal changes, we often need palliative relief. Here are some herbs to support and give you relief from the changes your body is going through: licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), wild yam root (Dioscorea villosa), shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), black cohosh root (Actaea racemosa).

So, now you have an arsenal of herbs that you can combine to make fun, helpful and delicious teas. So start blending and experimenting. Write down how you feel before and after to see if the tea is helping. Good luck on your journey! Jayne

Staff writer, editor and lecturer, Jayne Tamburello, MS, CNS, RH(AHG), LDN, is the founder of Invibe Herbal (invibeherbal.com), a company dedicated to creating organic tea blends to meet your needs. At Invibe, just take the questionnaire and find out what you’ve been missing! Jayne is a licensed nutritionist (LDN) and certified nutritionist (CNS) practicing in Delaware and Pennslyvania. She holds an MS in Herbal Medicine from Maryland University of Integrative Health and is a registered herbalist (RH) with the American Herbalist Guild (AHG).