This is New: a Surprising Herb for Menopausal Insomnia

Insomnia is a common problem for women during menopause. There’s a common herb that is not commonly used as a medicinal herb that just might help.

Ocimum basilicum, or basil, gets its name from the Greek word for king. But, though it has won fame as a royal culinary herb, fame has eluded it as a medicinal herb.

But women suffering through the insomnia that comes with menopause may want to give it some attention. A surprising new study has discovered that basil can help you sleep.

The just published triple-blind study gave either a placebo or 250mg of basil extract to 60 menopausal women for one month. The women in the basil group scored significantly better on both the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and on the Insomnia Intensity Index. The women in the basil group scored 3.7 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index after one month, while the women on placebo were still struggling at 9.1. The higher the score, the worse the quality of sleep. On the Insomnia scale, the advantage was 5.6 versus 11. The higher the score the worse the insomnia. When the women were evaluated after 2 weeks, there was already a significant advantage to the basil.

This new study introduces basil extract as a herb increases sleep quality and decreases insomnia in menopausal women.

Phytother Res. 2023 Feb 7. doi:10.1002/ptr.7753

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For much more on natural help for menopause and insomnia, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

For comprehensive natural help with your insomnia and menopause, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for virtual appointments.

The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.

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