Healthcare

Keishi-Bukuryu-Gan is a popular herbal remedy and most recommended by gynecologists in Japan to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
In this country, this herbal remedy has been regulated as a prescription drug for menopausal symptoms with rare of side effects.

Whether the effects may have similar result in the U.S. women, the researchers initiated a trial in 178 postmenopausal women who were randomized receiving Keishi-Bukuryu-Gan or placebo daily for 3 months. The herbal remedy provided directly by Japaneses major Chinese herbal medicine (Kampo) distributor, Tsumura.

Reported in Menopause on June 28, 2011, the study authors, Greg Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP, medical director of Institute for Health and Healing, Abott-Northwestern Hospital, and colleagues said that Keisyi-Bukuryu-Gan seem does not have additional advantage than placebo in treating menopausal symptoms.

According to their findings, although they found improvements in hot flashes, sleep problems and other symptoms at the end of the study, however, the results almost similar to placebo.

In detail, 34% of women in placebo group showed significant reduction of the frequency and severity of hot flashes, and similar results in 40% of women in herbal group who consumed 7.5 g keishi-bukuryo-gan every day.
However, for those who consume keishi-bukuryo-gan as much as 12.5 g per day showed mode drops (38% of women) than placebo group.

Overall, the study authors found no significant different results between herbal group and placebo.

While in Japan confirmed the side effects are rare after a decade of post-marketing surveillance of the product, unfortunately here in the U.S. trial showed 20% of the women who taking the herb reported side effects with diarrhea.

Although the real reason is less obvious why there is difference in outcomes between Japanese women and U.S. women, however, the researchers argue that this herbal remedy used in Japan as part of the traditional medicine system known as ‘Kampo’ that generally best for women who normally tend to feel cold but without having hot flashes or night sweats, and are deemed to have stagnant Qi (a traditional concept in Chinese and Japanese medicine that refers to the flow of energy through the body).
However, current study involved women who have frequent or severe hot flashes and not based on such above factors.

Despite such arguments, overall, current study showed Keishi-Bukuryu-Gan has no additional advantages for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms treatment, while the risk of diarrhea should be concerned in the use of this herbal for menopausal women.