06 Oct 2025
By: Yi TCM Admin
Going through menopause can be an uncomfortable experience for some women as they navigate this new and unpredictable phase of their lives. Thankfully, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) takes a holistic treatment approach that can provide relief from menopausal symptoms.
Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive cycle. It typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but some women may also experience early menopause before age 45. Menopause occurs after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, primarily due to a reduction in reproductive hormone levels (oestrogen and progesterone). These hormones regulate the reproductive cycle and other bodily functions, causing various physical and emotional changes like hot flashes, night sweats, and more.
Some women have a hard time coping with menopause’s emotional symptoms. Fluctuating hormone levels cause varying degrees of symptoms in women: some may only go through mild and manageable symptoms, while others may have significant difficulty with theirs. It is believed that the changes in hormone levels can alter neurotransmitters in your brain, which leads to mood swings and increases your risk of depression. Coupled with the discomfort of physical symptoms that can impact your mood due to poor sleep quality, menopause’s emotional symptoms can make it challenging to get through each day.
From TCM’s viewpoint, menopause results from a kidney yin deficiency that causes declining kidney essence vital for a woman’s reproductive health and general well-being. This depletion of yin energy and blood in the Ren and Chong meridians results in hormone level fluctuations and menopausal symptoms, including mood swings and other emotional symptoms. Since the kidneys are considered foundational to yin and yang energies, the imbalance can also result in various symptoms, like fatigue, which can exacerbate these emotional symptoms.
Apart from holistic TCM treatments, a TCM practitioner can also share herbal teas that you can enjoy at home to soothe menopause’s emotional symptoms.
This floral tea is made from dried chrysanthemum flowers and is well known for its cooling properties. As menopause is a yin deficiency causing hot flashes and night sweats, chrysanthemum tea is ideal for soothing these symptoms, thereby relieving the emotional symptoms that these physical symptoms can exacerbate. Chrysanthemum is said to help improve your well-being and help prevent various bone conditions, including osteoporosis.
Goji berries and red dates are known to help relieve menopausal symptoms. Red dates are beneficial for restoring vitality and promoting blood and Qi circulation. Meanwhile, goji berries are known to help treat kidney yin deficiency, which can help relieve symptoms such as hot flashes. The tea may help calm the mind, reduce menopausal emotional symptoms, and improve sleep quality. Goji berries are paired with red dates to enhance the flavour and provide a robust source of nutrition and antioxidants that further improve your well-being.
Dong quai has traditionally been used for treating menopausal symptoms, as it is said to help regulate hormone levels to reduce menopausal symptoms and relieve emotional symptoms, including mood swings and insomnia, that may affect your emotional well-being. Dong quai is typically prescribed alongside other herbs, and you may find some commercial dong quai teas sold that contain other herbs like ginseng and ginkgo biloba to improve overall health.
Chamomile is well known as a relaxing tea that contains many nutrients that alleviate menopausal symptoms. One such ingredient is flavonoids, which have a mild tranquillising property that can promote calmness and improve sleep quality, while also minimising other emotional symptoms. The relaxation effect can help keep your emotions in check.
Chamomile tea can be consumed at any time of the day, but it may be especially beneficial before bedtime for a pleasant rest.
Osmanthus tea also contains flavonoids that can help calm you and minimise anxiety and stress caused by the emotional symptoms of menopause. Packed with antioxidants, this tea can also help support your overall well-being and potentially alleviate additional menopausal symptoms. It may also be concocted with other herbs to improve the tea’s beneficial effects.
Place one to two teaspoons of dried osmanthus flowers in a cup while you boil water. Once the water is boiled, let it cool for a minute or so, then pour the hot water into the cup. Let it steep for three to five minutes, then enjoy. If you prefer sweetness, you can add honey to your cup.
Ginger is used in TCM as it is known to help regulate lower oestrogen levels due to menopause. It is beneficial as it helps minimise the severity of menopausal symptoms, including emotional ones like mood swings by regulating hormone levels.
At Yi TCM, we can help you address the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause through holistic health care using TCM techniques. We can recommend herbal teas that cater to your menopausal concerns or symptoms. Contact us today for a personalised consultation and start your TCM journey with us.
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Cleveland Clinic. (2025). Can Menopause Cause Anxiety? Retrieved 24th April 2025 from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-menopause-causing-your-mood-swings-depression-or-anxiety
NHS Inform. (2022). Menopause and your mental wellbeing. Retrieved 24th April 2025 from https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/menopause-and-your-mental-wellbeing/
Yu, Q. (2018). Traditional Chinese medicine: perspectives on and treatment of menopausal symptoms. Climacteric, 21(2), 93–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2018.1434983
