“ pharmaceutically acceptable excipients ” is used herein according to art accepted meanings , and includes those ingredients needed to formulate a medicine for mammalian use , including the use of gelatin capsules . “ synergistic ” or “ synergy ” is used herein to mean that the effect is more than its additive property . in preferred embodiments , the synergy is at least 1 . 2 , 1 . 5 , 2 , 5 , or 10 fold . by use of “ plants ,” what is meant herein is that the plant ( or that portion with medicinal activity ) is used whole , ground , or as an extract . also included are purified active ingredients and derivatives thereof . however , it is believed that the best efficacy of plants used herein is achieved with the use of the entire plant or its extracts , rather than with the use of isolated active ingredients . further , although plants are named here according to commonly used nomenclature , with improving taxonomy plants are often reclassified . whenever a plant is referenced , it includes related species with similar active ingredients . the following examples are illustrative only and should not serve to unduly limit the invention . ajuga turkestanica : its main active principle turkesterone , a phytoecdysteroid possessing an 11alpha - hydroxyl group . ecdysteroids normalize nadh dehydrogenase activity , enzyme which catalyzes electron transfer from nadh to ubiquinones in the oxidative phosphorylation processes which occur at the mitochondrial level , contributing to the potential electrochemical buildup required to produce atp . it also normalizes the succinate dehydrogenase enzyme which participates in the tricarboxilic acid cycle , which translates to atp synthesis and patient energy level increases [ tashmukhamedova m a , almatov k t , syrov v n . comparative study of the effect of ecdysterone , turkesterone and nerobol on the function of rat liver mitochondria in experimental diabetes . vopr med khim . 1986 ; 32 : 24 - 8 ]. panax quinquefolius ( american ginseng , anchi , canadian ginseng , five fingers , ginseng , american , north american ginseng , red berry , ren shen , and tienchi ) is related to panax ginseng , but is a distinct species with higher levels of ginsenoside rb1 and without ginsenoside rf . these substances confer energizing properties because they increase atp synthesis . it also has antioxidant and anti - inflammatory effects . results of clinical research studies demonstrate that panax quinquefolius improves physical and mental performance and increases resistance to exogenous stress factors . the incorporation of this phytomedicine provides at least 206 active principles in a single therapeutic . pfaffia paniculata ( suma , brazilian ginseng , pfaffia , para tudo , corango - acu ; also hebanthe paniculata , gomphrena paniculata , g . eriantha , iresine erianthos , i . paniculata , i . tenuis , p . eriantha , xeraea paniculata ) contains active glycosides ( beta - ecdysone and three ecdysteroids ), six different pfaffic acids , phytosterols ( sitosterol and estigmasterol ). pfaffia also contains saponins and 19 different amino acids , minerals , vitamins and pantoneic acid . its germanium content probably accounts for its properties as an oxygenator at the cellular level , and its high iron content may account for its traditional use for anemia . this herb increases energy through an increase in atp synthesis and oxygenation at the cellular level , and it also has anabolic activity at the muscular level . these substances act as hormone precursors modulating estrogen , progesterone and testosterone production ( oshima m , gu y . pfaffia paniculata - induced changes in plasma estradiol - 17beta , progesterone and testosterone levels in mice . j reprod dev . 2003 ; 49 : 175 - 80 ) and have demonstrated effectivity in the management of diverse conditions related to hormone unbalance such as menopause ( pitchford , paul . healing with whole foods : asian traditions and modern nutrition . north atlantic books ; 3rd edition ; 2002 . isbn : 1556434308 ). suma has safe estrogenic activity because of its store of sitosterol , a compound which increases body &# 39 ; s natural estrogen . incorporation of pfaffia provides 44 active principles . rhaponticum carthamoides ( leuzea , or maral root ) contains a mixture of compounds called ‘ levseins ’. levseins represents a complex of more than 10 ecdysterones including 20 - beta - ecdysterone , makisterone c , 24 - dehydromakisterone a , carthamosterone , polypodyne b and ajugasterone c . ecdysteroids normalize nadh dehydrogenase activity , enzyme which catalizes nadh electron transfer to the ubiquinone in the oxidative phosphorylation processes at the mitochondrial level , contributing to buildup the electrochemical potential used to produce atp . it also normalizes the succinate dehydrogenase activity , enzyme which acts in the tricarboxilic acid cycle , which translates in atp synthesis and patient energy level increases . in women with low levels of estrogens , ecdysterone behaves as an anabolic steroid mimicking the effects of these hormones . incorporation of this phytomedicine in a composition provides at least 10 active principles in a single therapeutic . aralia mandshurica ( manchurian thorn tree ) the main active principles are triterpene saponins aralosides ( elatosides ). siberians traditionally preferred aralia for immune health , to reduce stress / depression , and to improve physical and mental performance . siberians would often combine aralia with other adaptogens for maximal stress reduction / performance enhancement benefits . aralia extract was included in the official russian pharmacopoeia in 1983 as a treatment for the symptoms of stress overload , such as fatigue , weakness , headache , libido loss , depression , immune weakness , etc . g . p . gubina reported in 1988 a 90 percent success rate — using aralia — in 106 patients treated for various “ asthenic ” ( stress overload / weakness ) conditions . aralia enhances a person &# 39 ; s ability for memorization and prolonged concentration . in proofreading tests , after taking this plant , a decrease in the quantity of mistakes was observed in 88 percent of the experimental group , while an increase in the quantity of mistakes was observed in 54 percent of the control group . those taking aralia mandshurica exerted a strong stimulating influence among test subjects who displayed a great improvement in reading comprehension , aptitude and speed . [ a . a . lebedev / far east scientific center of the ussr ]; [ v . v . kazakevich / academy of sciences , vladivostok , russia ]. astragalus membranaceus ( huang - qi , huangqi ) this plant contains three main types of active principles . isoflavones , principalmente formononetin , astragalans , and astragalosides which act as modulators of the hypothalamus - hypofisis - adrenal axis response . it also contains linoleic acid . formononetin has estrogenic receptor alpha and beta binding affinity ( halabalaki m , alexi x , aligiannis n . estrogenic activity of isoflavonoids from onobrychis ebenoides . planta med . 2006 ; 72 : 488 - 93 ). dietary supplements are currently used to treat menopausal symptoms because of their high content of the mildly estrogenic isoflavones ( formononetin ). this compound is estrogenic in vitro and in vivo ( booth n l , overk c r , yao p . seasonal variation of red clover ( trifolium pratense l ., fabaceae ) isoflavones and estrogenic activity . j agric food chem . 2006 ; 54 : 1277 - 82 ). isoflavones have a high affinity to estrogen receptor alpha ( eralpha ), estrogen receptor beta ( erbeta ), progesterone receptor ( pr ) and androgen receptor ( ar ). the affinity to er has been used as an explanation of the effects of isoflavones in the treatment of menopausal disorders . biochemical analysis shows that phytoestrogens have multiple actions beside selective estrogen receptor modulator ( serm )- activity . they act as selective estrogen enzyme modulators ( seems ), have antioxidant activity and interact with transcription factors such as nf - kappab . furthermore , it is indicated that they have protective effects on osteoporosis and the cardiovascular system ( beck v , rohr u , jungbauer a . phytoestrogens derived from red clover : an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy ? j steroid biochem mol biol . 2005 ; 94 : 499 - 518 ). formononetin showed clear estrogenic activity through estrogen receptor alpha ( eralpha ) and estrogen receptor beta ( erbeta ) and affinity to progesterone ( pr ) and androgen ( ar ) receptors . in vitro assays and chemical analysis showed that theoretical estrogenic activity expressed as equivalent e2 concentration is in the same range as recommended for synthetic estrogens . broader spectrum of action and hypothesized lower side effects by action through erbeta make them suitable for alternative hormone replacement therapy ( beck v , unterrieder e , krenn l . comparison of hormonal activity ( estrogen , androgen and progestin ) of standardized plant extracts for large scale use in hormone replacement therapy . j steroid biochem mol biol . 2003 ; 84 : 259 - 68 ). formononetin binds well to human er beta and human er alpha ( morito k , aomori t , hirose t . interaction of phytoestrogens with estrogen receptors alpha and beta ( ii ). biol pharm bull . 2002 ; 25 : 48 - 52 ). astragalus offers 38 active principles in a single therapeutic . polygonum multiflorum ( fo - ti , chinese knotweed , chinese cornbind , climbing knotweed , flowery knotweed , fleeceflower , he shou wu ) the main constituents of polygonum multiflorum are : emodin , chrysophanol , rhein , 6 - oh - emodin , emodin - 8 - beta - d - glucoside , polygonimitin b , 2 , 3 , 5 , 4 ′- tetrahydroxystilbene - 2 - o - beta - d - glucoside , gallic acid . this pkant has been used traditionally in china for menopause symptoms management . polygonum has estrogenic activity ( kang s c , lee c m , choi h . evaluation of oriental medicinal herbs for estrogenic and antiproliferative activities . phytother res . aug . 14 , 2006 ). another study which gives support to the reported efficacy of chinese medicines used for hormone replacement therapy is zhang c z , wang s x , zhang y . in vitro estrogenic activities of chinese medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of menopausal symptoms . j ethnopharmacol . 2005 ; 98 : 295 - 300 ). polygonum provides 47 active principles in a single therapeutic . vitex agnus castus ( chasteberry , chaste - tree ): from the fruit of this plant are obtained an essential oil , linoleic acid , two iridoid glicosides ( aucubine y el agnusine ); a flavone ( casticin ), flavonoids derived from kaempferol and quercetagine and other flavonoids such as penduletin , vitexin and apigenin . penduletin and apigenin , flavonoids of vitex agnus castus are estrogenic compounds . both substances are specific ligands for the beta - estrogenic receptor ( jarry h , spengler b , wuttke w . in vitro assays for bioactivity - guided isolation of endocrine active compounds in vitex agnus - castus . maturitas . epub aug . 21 , 2006 ). extracts of vitex agnus - castus displace estradiol from estrogenic receptor alpha and beta . linoleic acid is one possible estrogenic component of the extract . linoleic acid is an estrogenic receptor ligand . these data suggest that linoleic acid from the fruits of vitex agnus - castus can bind to estrogen receptors and induce certain estrogen inducible genes ( liu j , burdette j e , sun y . isolation of linoleic acid as an estrogenic compound from the fruits of vitex agnus - castus l ( chaste - berry ). phytomedicine . 2004 ; 11 : 18 - 23 ). a clinical trial on 23 menopausal patients with essential oils of vitex agnus castus indicated strong symptomatic relief of common menopausal symptoms . a second clinical trial on 52 additional subjects appears to support the finding of the first trial ( chopin lucks b . vitex agnus castus essential oil and menopausal balance : a research update complement ther nurs midwifery . 2003 ; 9 : 157 - 60 ). essential oils from vitex agnus castus were found to be effective , in menopausal balance ( lucks b c , sorensen j , veal l . vitex agnus - castus essential oil and menopausal balance : a self - care survey . complement ther nurs midwifery . 2002 ; 8 : 148 - 54 ). vitex agnus preparations are commonly used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms . angelica sinensis ( dong quai or angelica , also angelica archangelia , angelica pubescens and angelica sylvestris can qui , angelica china , dangdanggui , dang gui , dong quai , duong qui , handanggui , hashyshat almalak , kara toki , langdu danggui , min - gui , tang - kuei , tangkuei , tâ ‘ n q ’ ui ) contains terpenes ( terpenes , mainly β - phellandrene , with β - bisabolene , β - caryophyllene , β - phellandrene , α - and β - pinene , limonene , linalool , borneol , acetaldehyde , menthadienes and nitromenthadienes ), macrocyclic lactones ( including tridecanolide , 12 - methyl tridecanolide , pentadecanolide ), phthalates ( such as hexamethylphthalate ), coumarins ( especially furocoumarin glycosides such as marmesin and apterin ), angelicin and byakangelicin derivatives ( osthol , umbelliferone , psoralen , bergapten , imperatoren , xanthotoxol , xanthotoxin , oxypeucedanin and more ), as well as various sugars , plant acids , flavonoids , and sterols . it also , contains alkyl phthalides ( ligustilide ); terpenes , phenylpropanoids ( ferulic acid ) and benzenoids . the results of a study demonstrated the estrogenic nature of the extract of angelica ( circosta c , pasquale r d , palumbo d r . estrogenic activity of standardized extract of angelica sinensis . phytother res . 2006 ; 20 : 665 - 9 ). a placebo - controlled trial on 55 postmenopausal women who complained of hot flushes and refused hormonal therapy showed a significant difference between the study group and the control group in the decrease in number and intensity of hot flushes from baseline to completion of treatment . there was also a marked alleviation of sleep disturbances and fatigue ( kupfersztain c , rotem c , fagot r . the immediate effect of natural plant extract , angelica sinensis and matricaria chamomilla ( climex ) for the treatment of hot flushes during menopause . a preliminary report . clin exp obstet gynecol . 2003 ; 30 : 203 - 6 ). dong quai showed weak estrogen receptor binding and progesteron receptor and ps2 mrna induction . these data suggest a potential use in the treatment of menopausal symptoms ( liu j , burdette j e , xu h . evaluation of estrogenic activity of plant extracts for the potential treatment of menopausal symptoms . j agric food chem . 2001 ; 49 : 2472 - 9 ). angelica provides 70 active principles . cimicifuga racemosa ( black cohosh , black snakeroot ): key active constituents are : triterpene glycosides ( containing a cyclopropane ring ) including acetein , cimicifugoside and racemoside ; isoflavones including formononetin ; aromatic acids including isoferulic acid and salicylic acid . also tannin , resin ( cimicifugin ), ranunculin , fatty acids , starch and sugars . a multicenter , randomized , placebo - controlled , double - blind , parallel group study was conducted in 122 menopausal women . the results indicate a superiority of cimicifuga racemosa extract compared to placebo in patients with menopausal disorders ( frei - kleiner s , schaffner w , rahlfs v w . cimicifuga racemosa dried ethanolic extract in menopausal disorders : a double - blind placebo - controlled clinical trial . maturitas . 2005 ; 51 : 397 - 404 ). a clinical trial studied the changes in subjective symptoms of menopause in 2016 women treated with an extract of cimicifuga racemosa . the most favorable changes were found in hot flashes , sweating , insomnia , and anxiety . the extract of c . racemosa was found to be effective in the alleviation of menopausal symptoms ( vermes g , banhidy f , acs n . the effects of remifemin on subjective symptoms of menopause . adv ther . 2005 ; 22 : 148 - 54 ). in a randomized clinical controlled study on climacteric complaints , the extract of cimicifuga racemosa significantly reduced the number of hot flushes per day and vasomotor symptoms . conclusions : cr may be a valid alternative in the management of climacteric complaints in those women who cannot be treated with or just refuse conventional strategies ( nappi r e , malavasi b , brundu b . efficacy of cimicifuga racemosa on climacteric complaints : a randomized study versus low - dose transdermal estradiol . gynecol endocrinol . 2005 ; 20 : 30 - 5 ). black cohosh has been used in the us for over 100 years . review of the published clinical data suggests that cimicifuga may be useful for the treatment of menopausal symptoms , such as hot flashes , profuse sweating , insomnia , and anxiety ( mahady g b . black cohosh ( actaea / cimicifuga racemosa ): review of the clinical data for safety and efficacy in menopausal symptoms . treat endocrinol . 2005 ; 4 : 177 - 84 ). osmers r , friede m , liske e . efficacy and safety of isopropanolic black cohosh extract for climacteric symptoms . obstet gynecol . 2005 ; 105 : 1074 - 83 . this randomized , multicenter , double - blind clinical trial compared the efficacy and tolerability of the black cohosh extract in the treatment of climacteric complaints compared with placebo in a total of 304 patients . the results showed that the black cohosh extract was more effective than placebo and clinically relevant . cimicifuga contains at least 45 active principles in a single therapeutic . dioscorea villosa ( mexican wild yam , china root , colic root , rheumatism root , huesos del diablo , yuma .) contains steroid sapogenins ( dioscine , dioscorin and diosgenine ) as the main active principles . it also contains salts and minerals , such as : aluminum , calcium , chrome , cobalt , iron , selenium , silica , sodium , tin , zinc , magnesium , manganese , phosphorus and potassium ; and vitamins : ascorbic acid , beta - carotene , niacin , riboflavin and thiamine . diosgenine can be transformed into pregnenolone , and progesterone [ gareth , thomas . medicinal chemistry . john wiley & amp ; sons ; first edition december 2000 . isbn : 0471489352 ]. the starting material for the production of progesterone is diosgenin obtained from a number of dioscorea species ( a plant source ). diosgenin may be converted to pregnenolone acetate by a series of steps . wild yam is used as a precursor in the manufacture of “ natural progesterones ”. natural progesterone products help reduce hot flashes or improve vaginal health [ tagliaferri , mary . the new menopause book . avery publisher ; march , 2006 ]. a clinical controlled trial in 24 postmenopausal women showed that dioscorea significantly increases serum concentrations of estrone , sex hormone binding globulin , and estradiol . although the exact mechanism is not clear , dioscorea improves the status of sex hormones ( wu w h , liu l y , chung c j . estrogenic effect of yam ingestion in healthy postmenopausal women . j am coll nutr . 2005 ; 24 : 235 - 43 ). the incorporation of this phytomedicine provides at least 29 active principles in a single therapeutic . linum usitatissimum ( flaxseed , flax , linseed ) phytoestrogens are diphenolic compounds that are present in several plants eaten by human beings . flaxseed is particularly abundant source of phytoestrogens . phytoestrogens have been shown to have significant estrogen agonists / antagonists effects in animals and humans . there is epidemiological , laboratory and clinical evidence which indicates that phytoestrogens , like certain selective estrogen receptor modulators , have a positive effect on the lipoprotein profile and bone density . they might also improve some of the climacteric symptoms . ( brzezinski a , debi a . phytoestrogens : the “ natural ” selective estrogen receptor modulators ? eur j obstet gynecol reprod biol . 1999 ; 85 : 47 - 51 ). phytoestrogens , which are abundant in flaxseed , have chemical structures resembling those of endogenous estrogens and have been shown to exert hormonal effects . a clinical , randomized , controlled trial in 46 postmenopausal women supplemented with either a placebo , soy , or flaxseed for 16 wk showed that urinary concentrations of 2 - hydroxyestrone increased significantly in the flaxseed group . in the soy and placebo groups , no significant correlation was observed . conclusions : supplementation with flaxseed modifies urinary estrogen metabolite excretion to a greater extent than does supplementation with an equal amount of soy ( brooks j d , ward w e , lewis j e . supplementation with flaxseed alters estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women to a greater extent than does supplementation with an equal amount of soy . am j clin nutr . 2004 ; 79 : 318 - 25 ). a clinical , randomized , controlled trial showed that flaxseed is as effective as oral estrogen - progesterone to improve mild menopausal symptoms . ( lemay a , dodin s , kadri n . flaxseed dietary supplement versus hormone replacement therapy in hypercholesterolemic menopausal women . obstet gynecol . 2002 ; 100 : 495 - 504 ). a clinical , randomized , controlled trial examined the effects of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolite excretion in 28 postmenopausal women showed that flaxseed supplementation significantly increased urinary 2 - ohestrogen excretion and the urinary 2 / 16 alpha - ohe1 ratio . results suggest protective effects in postmenopausal women ( haggans c j , hutchins a m , olson b a . effect of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in postmenopausal women . nutr cancer . 1999 ; 33 : 188 - 95 ). linum usitatissimum contains linoleic acid , an estrogenic receptor ligand that can bind to estrogen receptors and induce certain estrogen inducible genes ( liu j , burdette j e , sun y . isolation of linoleic acid as an estrogenic compound from the fruits of vitex agnus - castus l . ( chaste - berry ). phytomedicine . 2004 ; 11 : 18 - 23 ). the seeds of linum contain 117 active principles . pueraria lobata ( kudzu ): the active components in kudzu root are the isoflavones puerarin , daidzin , genistin , daidzein , and genistein . pueraria lobata has high estrogenic relative potency ( kang s c , lee c m , choi h . evaluation of oriental medicinal herbs for estrogenic and antiproliferative activities . phytother res . advance epub aug . 14 , 2006 ). a clinical trial of a nutritional supplement containing isoflavones from kudzu and red clover , along with other targeted nutrients on menopausal symptoms and markers of breast cancer and cvd risk , carried out in twenty - five menopausal women suffering from severe hot flushes and night sweats showed a 46 % decrease in reported hot flushes . quality of life showed similar improvement . the results of this trial suggests that this combination isoflavone nutritional supplement may significantly relieve the most troubling symptoms of menopause , as well as confer some chemopreventive and cardioprotective benefits ( lukaczer d , darland g , tripp m . clinical effects of a proprietary combination isoflavone nutritional supplement in menopausal women : a pilot trial . altern ther health med . 2005 ; 11 : 60 - 5 ). estrogenic activity of the chinese herb kudzu root was investigated by a recombinant yeast screening assay ( yes ). the crude extract and its sub - fractions , showed clear estrogenic activity . the results showed that the high content of isoflavones as well as the high estrogenic activity could make kudzu root extract an interesting candidate for hormone replacement therapy ( zhang y , chen j , zhang c . analysis of the estrogenic components in kudzu root by bioassay and high performance liquid chromatography . j steroid biochem mol biol . 2005 ; 94 : 375 - 81 ). pueraria lobata showed estrogenic activity which explains its reported efficacy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms ( zhang c z , wang s x , zhang y . in vitro estrogenic activities of chinese medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of menopausal symptoms . j ethnopharmacol . 2005 ; 98 : 295 - 300 ). puerariae radix has effective estrogenic actions and could be developed as estrogenic supplement ( kim o s , choi j h , soung y h . establishment of in vitro test system for the evaluation of the estrogenic activities of natural products . arch pharm res . 2004 ; 27 : 906 - 11 ). results of another showed that puerarin and total pueraria isoflavones acted as weak estrogen - like effect on estrogen - deficiency animals , while no effect on normal - estrogen level ones , but as antiestrogen - like effect in high - estrogen - level ones . results suggested that puerarin and tip possessed property of partial agonist of estrogen receptor ( zheng g , zhang x , zheng j . estrogen - like effects of puerarin and total isoflavones from pueraria lobata . zhong yao cai . 2002 ; 25 : 566 - 8 ). puirura contains at least 26 active principles . serenoa repens ( saw palmetto , sabal serrulata , scrub - palmetto ). its main active principles are saturated fatty acids : lauric , myristic , palmitic , capric , caprylic ; and unsaturated fatty acids : oleic , linoleic and linolenic . these fatty acids have demonstrated inhibiting action on 5 - alpha - reductase , enzyme which transforms testosterone into dihydrotestosterone ( raynaud j p , cousse h , martin p m . inhibition of type 1 and type 2 5alpha - reductase activity by free fatty acids , active ingredients of permixon . j steroid biochem mol biol . 2002 ; 82 : 233 - 9 ). estrogens are manufactured from androstenedione or testosterone as immediate precursors . when the testosterone into dihydrotestosterone transformation is inhibited , testosterone levels are improved ; which is used in the biosynthesis of estrone , estradiol and estriol , deficient hormones during menopause . serenoa repens contains linoleic acid , an estrogenic receptor ligand that can bind to estrogen receptors and induce certain estrogen inducible genes ( liu j , burdette j e , sun y . isolation of linoleic acid as an estrogenic compound from the fruits of vitex agnus - castus l . ( chaste - berry ). phytomedicine . 2004 ; 11 : 18 - 23 ). serenoa contains 13 active principles . tribulus terrestris ( puncture vine , caltrop , yellow vine , bindy eye , bindii , bullhead , burnut , burra gokhroo , caltrop , calthrops , cat &# 39 ; s head , common dubbeltjie , devil &# 39 ; s thorn , devil &# 39 ; s weed , doublegee , dubbeltje , goathead , gokshura , maltese cross , mexican sandbur , puncture vine , puncture weed , rose , small caltrops , tackweed , texas sandbur , yellow vine and goathead ). the fruits and roots of tribulus contain active principles such as : phytosterols , flavonoids , alkaloids , glucosides and steroidal saponins of the furostanol sub - class with a predominant amount of protodioscine ( no less than 45 %) which seems to be the principle that produces the clinical results . these active principles exert an effective stimulant effect over the reproductive systems , with the increase in body mass , vigour and resistance . protodioscin is a phytochemical agent derived from tribulus terrestris plant that is converted by the supra renal glands into dhea [ de - hydro - epi - androsterone ] ( adimoelja a . phytochemicals and the breakthrough of traditional herbs in the management of sexual dysfunctions . int j androl . 2000 ; 23 : 82 - 4 ) constituting the raw material for the production of testosterona and estrogens , as well as other hormones . dhea production declines with age . when the organism reaches 60 years it produces only between 5 and 15 % of the normal amount , thus contributing to the ageing process . dhea is transformed into androstenedione and testosterone , and later into estrone and estradiol , hormones which are lacking during menopause . results of various studies sugest that dhea supplements improve the symptoms of menopause , libido and osteoporosis in women . significantly increasing levels of estradiol , luteinizing ( lh ) and folicule - stimulating hormone ( fsh ). this way tribulus improves the reproductive functions in women . tribulus contains 46 active principles in a single therapeutic . vitamin e : from the practice guideline of the north american menopause society “ in women who need relief for mild vasomotor symptoms , the north american menopause society recommends first considering lifestyle changes , either alone or combined with a nonprescription remedy , such as dietary isoflavones , black cohosh , or vitamin e ” ( italics by inventor ) ( treatment of menopause - associated vasomotor symptoms : position statement of the north american menopause society . menopause . 2004 ; 11 : 11 - 33 ). for mild symptoms that do not interfere with sleep or daily function , behavioral changes in conjunction with vitamin e ( 800 iu / d ) use is a reasonable initial approach for the management of menopause ( shanafelt t d , barton d l , adjei a a . pathophysiology and treatment of hot flash ). a particularly preferred composition is shown in table 1 . ratios reflect the concentration of active ingredient over the natural state , and the amounts provided are mg of extract . obviously , the amount should be increased where the strength is reduced , and vice versa . the effects of a phytonutraceutical composition — formulated under the precepts of systemic medicine — were examined for tolerance and effectiveness in 104 patients diagnosed with menopause through a retrospective , multicenter , descriptive 2 year study . the composition improved in a high percentage of patients the following somatic alterations : vasomotor symptoms ( 92 . 8 %), sleep disorders ( 88 . 2 %) %), tachycardia ( 88 . 9 %), arthralgias and myalgias ( 80 . 7 %). an important percentage referred an improvement in the psicological alterations associated with menopause such as : irritability ( 88 . 3 %), depression ( 88 . 9 %), physical and mental tiredness ( 92 . 2 %). 55 % of the patients referred an abscense of urogenital disorders after the treatment . quality of life improved in the majority of patients . tolerability was excellent ; only one patient was affected ( dyspepsia ) representing less than one percent of the population ( 0 . 96 %). the formulation created under the principles of systemic medicine demonstrated to be an effective treatment of the physical and psychological climacteric symptoms ; reason for which it should be considered an effective therapeutic alternative . in order to explain the range of formulations encompassed by the invention , we have categorized beneficial plants and nutraceutical into one of three groups , each of which should be present for synergistic effect . the classifications are : energy , bio - intelligence and organization . plants and nutraceuticals classified under energy are associated with atp synthesis ( such as the krebs cycle , oxidative phosphorylation , beta - oxidation , etc .). plants and nutraceuticals classified under bio - intelligence are those that regulate the neuroendocrine and immunological systems and cellular processes , thus controlling the interactions between the various systems in the body . finally , plants and nutraceuticals classified under organization are those that relate to the structure and function of specific organs . combinations of plants and nutraceuticals from these three classification groups have synergistic effect because they address each necessary component of cellular and organic health — in effect they provide the triangle on which healing is fully supported . this triangle is depicted in drawing # 1 . an illustrative example of synergy in medicinal plants is an in vitro study that demonstrates how the activity of herbal berberine alkaloids is strongly potentiated by the action of 5 ′- methoxyhydnocarpin ( 5 ′- mhc )— an active principle of another phytomedicine ( denominated hydnocarpus wightiana ). it shows a strong increase of accumulation of berberine in the cells in the presence of 5 ′- mhc , indicating that this plant compound effectively disabled the bacterial resistance mechanism against the berberine antimicrobial , thus showing the synergy of both substances . stermitz f r , et al ., synergy in a medicinal plant : antimicrobial action of berberine potentiated by 5 ′- methoxyhydnocarpin , a multidrug pump inhibitor . proc natl acad sci usa . 2000 ; 97 : 1433 - 7 . a further demonstration may be provided of synergistic effect on a molecular scale by studying the gene expression profile changes in response to various plant / nutraceutical ingredients and combinations thereof . experiments are already underway demonstrating the expression profile in response to the formulations . we will be aided in this work because researchers have already begun studying the expression profiles of various medicinal plants , thus providing a database of knowledge from which to build . e . g ., gohil , et al ., mrna expression profile of a human cancer cell line in response to ginkgo biloba extract : induction of antioxidant response and the golgi system , free radic res . 2001 ; 33 : 831 - 849 . finally there may be further presentation of gene expression results using whole - genome microarray analysis to demonstrate the formulation &# 39 ; s capability to provide gene activation ( upregulation or downregulation ).
a phytoceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of menopause disorders and symptoms is provided . a specific combination of extracts of plants is taught , as well as principles for varying the formulations based on categorizing plants into one of three groups , energy , bio - intelligence , and organization and selecting several plants from each group . such combinations have synergistic effects , with minimal side effects .