Halting of menstruation cycle is known as menopause. It is a normal part of women’s life like puberty, menarche and usually occurs naturally at an average age of 51, but for some women, it can happen as early as 40 or as late as 55 years of age. Symptoms can be helped using natural remedies such as red clover tea that provide multiple health benefits.

Menopause is the stage in a women's life where the menstrual periods stop at a particular age. It generally occurs between 45-52 years of age. It happens because the women’s bodies stop producing estrogen and progesterone hormones. Understanding the condition, symptoms and the varied precautions for gaining health benefits during the stage is vital for women.

Three stages of menopause, which usually occur after the age of 45, include:

• Premenopause: This denotes the beginning of perimenopause but is also used to define the last menstrual period.
• Perimenopause: The stage preceding menopause where menstrual cycle and endocrine changes occur
• Postmenopause: This is the stage which begins at the last menstrual period.

During menopause, numerous changes occur in women’s bodies. These are physical changes as well as mental changes. These changes can appear as clear symptoms in women during or before menopause. Among the many symptoms, the most common symptoms that occur are listed below:

• Irregular periods: For women in their 40ies and 50ies, irregular periods are a sign of menopause. This occurs when fluctuating hormone levels delay ovulation and menstruation. It results in irregular bleeding or spotting. In few women, periods may occur for a whole month with heavy bleeding but other women may experience menstruation twice or thrice in a month. Hence, the symptoms vary greatly. Tisanes and herbal teas such as Red Clover Tea can help ease discomfort in these symptoms
• Vaginal dryness: It is the most common symptom of menopause that almost all women experience. It includes itching, burning, soreness, pain or light bleeding during intercourse. The symptoms occur due to hormonal changes, especially in estrogen levels. Estrogen keeps vaginal tissue healthy to maintain normal vaginal lubrication, elasticity and pH level. These factors help in preventing urinary tract and vaginal infections. The low levels of hormones results in a thinner, less elastic and more fragile vagina.
• Hot flashes: This is the most common symptom women experience during menopause. It is a sudden and intense feeling of heat, sweating and the skin becoming warm. Wearing tight clothes, feeling stressed or consuming alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods, can aggravate this symptom. It can be very frustrating for women. For lowering symptoms one can have help from herbal teas such as Chamomile tea or Red clover tea.
• Mood swings: During menopause, the psychological symptoms are that women may feel irritable, sad or unmotivated. Women can often act anxious and aggressive and often complain about fatigue. Sometimes, during this period, women tend to overeat or lose their appetite. Calming teas such as Chamomile tea or Red clover tea can aid the condition.
• Night sweat: This problem is similar to hot flashes but it occurs when women sleep. This is the reason the symptoms are called night sweat. In this, women find themselves drenched in sweat after waking up. These physical and mental symptoms are associated with menopausal transition.

Disturbed sleep, somatic and urinary complaints, mood swings are not only psychiatric illness but a time of psychological stress for women. Though women improperly understand the relationship between mood and hormonal changes, almost all women are aware that these symptoms are due to the hormonal changes in the body.

To fight these symptoms and availing a smooth transition during menopause, an herb called Red Clover is known to be beneficial for women undergoing or approaching menopause. Red clover plant’s flowers are used to make medicines. Red clover has multiple health benefits and is used for many conditions such as lowering cholesterol and controlling hot flashes in menopausal women. Red clover tea is also used for symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, breast pain or tenderness. Along with this, red clover tea offers health benefits of preventing cancer, indigestion, cough, bronchitis, asthma and sexually transmitted diseases.

I always recommend Red Clover Herb from BestSource Nutrition because it is cultivated in the natural surroundings of the Himalayas and has huge health benefits for any woman experiencing menopause. BestSource Nutrition has introduced a Nourishing Herb for women - Red Clover Herb. The red flowers are usually dried and consumed as a deep, amber colored red clover tea for maximum health benefits for women.