Menstrual Health: An East Meets West Approach

Despite advancements in modern medicine, cycle-related symptoms still affect 90% of people with periods. Isn’t it about time we found a better way to address our menstrual health?

Menstrual health doesn’t just mean a symptom-free period. It’s the physical, mental, and social well-being throughout the entire menstrual cycle. As we see it, menstrual wellness also means understanding and appreciating the beauty of how your body works. 

While Western and Eastern medicine approaches to menstrual health differ, combining the best of both worlds paves the way for healthier, happier cycles. In fact, our periods can be seen as a report card for our overall health. So how can we use both Western and Eastern medicine to understand our cycles and embrace better menstrual health?

Big Picture + Crucial Details = A Better Understanding of Health

Western medicine and Eastern medicine are often pegged against each other. But it doesn’t have to be either-or. The beauty of integrative medicine is that we can use both to create a holistic approach that gives us an even better picture of our health – and solutions to improve it. 

Western medicine tends to treat menstrual issues with a targeted, specific approach. Symptoms are often viewed separately, with separate treatments (such as painkillers for pain, or birth control for irregularity). 

As Elix Medical Advisor Dr. Liem Le explains, TCM’s approach is targeted like Western medicine, but sees all symptoms as part of one big picture: “TCM is a philosophy for treating illness that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is a holistic medical paradigm that takes into consideration the patient’s mind, body, and spirit, making it by design, the original form of personalized, precision medicine.”

Rather than identify and treat each symptom separately, TCM treats symptoms like puzzle pieces that clue us in to our overall pattern of imbalance. This is why it can be so effective for helping different people, different periods, and different symptoms.

In essence, TCM helps us understand our overall health landscape, and Western medicine gives us a lens to zoom in on the specifics when needed.

Elix Cycle Balance: Combining The Best of Both Worlds

What happens when we combine the technological advancements and precision of Western medicine with the individuality and wisdom of Eastern medicine? We open up a whole new world of opportunity for menstrual wellness. 

“Women have been excluded from clinical trials throughout history, which means, not only do we not understand how common disease and treatments affect women differently than men, but the conditions that affect women only have been nearly completely ignored,” explains Elix medical advisor Dr. Ritch. 

Until now. While we still don’t fully understand why common conditions like fibroids, endometriosis and PCOS occur, the tides are turning. More clinical trials are being conducted on women's health conditions, as well as how different therapies can help improve wellness for anyone who menstruates – starting with Elix. 

In 2021, Elix invested in our own Institutional Review Board-approved independent clinical trial to join our TCM roots with biomedical forces to study exactly how well Cycle Balance works. And the results speak for themselves. Trial participants who used Cycle Balance over a three-month period saw:

• 90% Improvement in PMS & menstrual symptoms overall
• 87% ease in symptoms
• 85% better regulation of cycle
• 82% reduction in premenstrual & menstrual cramps
• 80% fewer mood swings
• 80% canceled fewer plans & felt more productive

Why does this clinical trial matter? Beyond showing that personalized Chinese herbal medicine can transform menstrual wellness, this trial paves the way for more research and more solutions. Period health deserves a seat at the clinical table. The more we understand menstrual health from both Western and Eastern perspectives, the more we can create healing solutions that put us in charge of our own wellbeing.

Why Choose Elix Cycle Balance?

If you’re looking for natural solutions for your menstrual symptoms, you won’t have to go far. The market for menstrual health supplements is ever-growing as more and more people tune in to the need for more natural menstrual health support. 

The problem, Dr. Ritch explains, is that “this market is largely unregulated, so it can be difficult to know which products to turn to, what will be safe and effective versus what is just a waste of money or potentially dangerous.”

At Elix, we’re here to equip you with the best opportunity to live well, every day of your cycle. Which is why transparency and efficacy are so important to us. “I [Dr. Ritch] love that Elix is not only transparent about what is in their products and the research that already exists to support how those ingredients are helpful, but that they have started to study how women feel using their products, so that others can know what to expect before they buy.”

We’re honored to have both Eastern and Western medical doctors like Dr. Ritch spreading the news about our clinical trial: “In their recent clinical trial, 90% of participants had improvements in their menstrual symptoms within 3 months and 80% had to miss less work, school, or social plans. That’s huge!” 

Dr. Le agrees, noting that “the clinical trial also showed a significant reduction in the use of OTC pain medication, which might have deleterious side effects from chronic use. This trial supports the potential use of traditional Chinese herbal medicine as an alternative to OTC pain medications. In short, it’s natural, effective, and can increase quality of life for my patients.”

How Do Chinese Herbal Formulas Like Elix Cycle Balance Work for Menstrual Health?

Herbal medicine is the backbone of TCM and other Eastern medical systems. Here’s how herbal formulas like Cycle Balance help our hormones stay balanced and keep our periods comfortable: 

Herbs contain healing properties that support menstrual health 

In TCM, all Chinese herbs have specific functions to balance health. Some herbs have warming properties that ease discomfort, while others cool to reduce inflammation. Some encourage healthy qi and blood circulation to keep ovulation on track, and others soothe the Liver system and calm the mind for less irritability and PMS.

Western medical research also finds that Chinese herbs have potent healing properties. White peony, for instance, is known to reduce pain, stimulate the immune system, prevent liver damage, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy blood flow. Key vitamins and minerals for hormone balance are also found in the Chinese herbs we use for Cycle Balance formulas. 

Herbs work as a well-rounded team to support the reproductive system 

While medications use specific chemical compounds to target symptoms, Chinese herbal formulas like Cycle Balance use a blend of high-quality whole herb extracts. The herbs work as a team, creating a holistic, synergistic effect that goes beyond just symptom management to support the reproductive system on all fronts. 

Dr. Le explains that “Angelica sinensis, or Dang Gui, is used and considered to be one of the Master or Emperor herbs – the herb that takes a leading role in addressing the root cause of hormonal imbalance from a TCM perspective, your Chinese medicine pattern.” Other herbs are combined with Angelica (or whichever is the “Emperor” herb in your unique Cycle Balance formula) to support and harmonize the formula. These herbs work in synchrony to support a regular cycle, relieve cramping and PMS, and help you feel your best.

Chinese herbs address the root cause of symptoms with few to no side effects 

TCM doesn’t do all the work for us, nor does it force anything. It enhances the body’s ability to function how nature designed it to. As a result, symptoms don’t just hide – they go away completely.

Take menstrual cramps or low back pain for example. “Instead of masking the symptoms, like pain medication does,” Dr. Le explains, “Chinese herbal medicine actually heals your symptoms at the root cause for sustainable pain relief with fewer side effects.”

Having fewer side effects, by the way, is a big win. “Consistently using high doses of pain medication has been correlated with negative long-term effects, such as gastrointestinal pain, increased bleeding, and kidney and liver issues,” adds Dr. Ritch.

For those who find themselves popping painkiller after painkiller through their cycle, switching to a natural pain relief solution could mean using fewer (or even no) OTC painkillers, and avoiding health complications down the line. In fact, many of our Elix community members have gone from taking 4-6 Midols daily to only 1-2 with help from Cycle Balance. 

Elix Cycle Balance blends this ancient wisdom of Chinese herbal medicine with the technology of Western medicine to create a powerful personalized monthly formula. 

It all starts with getting to know you. Your answers to our Elix Health Assessment help us determine what patterns of imbalance you are likely experiencing. We dive deep with questions that reveal your underlying state of health and TCM tongue analysis. This helps understand how your menstrual symptoms fit into the big picture of your overall health. 

With this information, we formulate your Cycle Balance with the best herbs to support your body and your period. Herbal healing is a cumulative process, so you’ll feel better and better as you fall into balance. 

Take the East Meets West Approach to Menstrual Wellness with Cycle Balance

Eastern medicine or Western medicine? You don’t have to choose. An integrated approach to menstrual healing gives us the best of both worlds – and Cycle Balance is proof. 

We used Western medicine’s keen scientific eye and Eastern medicine’s holistic methods to create a personalized, proven way to address the root cause of your menstrual symptoms and heal your cycle. 

Ready to take the East meets West approach to improve your menstrual health? Take our Health Assessment now to discover your personalized formula and get 20% off your first supply!

This article was reviewed by Dr. Liem Le.

Dr. Liem Le is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Nutritionist Integrative Medicine Department at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. He is a part of the teaching staff for the Masters program for the Functional Medicine and Human Nutrition program at University of Western States. Dr. Le is currently working on his fellowship in Integrative Medicine with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine via a scholarship from the White House to complete the initiative.