Global Health Perspectives on Empowering Women: Ethnopharmacological Approaches to Overcoming Health Challenges During Menopause

The WHO predicts that by 2050, there will be one billion perimenopausal or postmenopausal women. Menopause, a natural phase in a woman's life, incorporates physical, psychological and
social dimensions. Many women and healthcare professionals may have limited knowledge of this significant aspect of women’s health, and a better understanding of this important life transition is needed to support women. The experiences of women during menopause vary and could be shaped by several factors such as symptoms, race and ethnicity, social meanings, expectations, self-esteem, life adversity and general health. Challenges persist, which include inaccurate and conflicting information, commercial influences, treatment accessibility and options, and evidence gaps, as well as evidence-based therapy options (e.g., treatment and management therapy choices, including medicinal plants and herbal medicinal products, when clinically relevant).
Through this Research Topic, we aim to bring together studies exploring menopause and its multifaceted effects on women's physical, mental, sexual, and emotional well-being. In addition, menopause is associated with several complaints, including hot flashes, anxiety, low mood, sleeping difficulties, and problems with memory and concentration, among others. This Research Topic also aims to underscore the significance of medicinal plant extracts and herbal medicines in managing menopausal complaints. Consequently, we ask researchers to disseminate their findings to demonstrate the significant potential of phytochemicals in the management of menopausal complaints and support self-care options. This inclusive approach is designed to stimulate research contributions that bridge standard healthcare options during menopause and empower women to make well-informed decisions about their healthcare and self-care needs to manage menopausal complaints. This Research Topic supports and amplifies research and evidence-based information related to:
Sustainable Development Goals 3: Good Health and Well-being and Sustainable Development Goals 5: Gender Equality.

The goal of this Research Topic is to advance understanding of menopause as a complex biological and cultural transition, place a particular emphasis on ethnopharmacological perspectives, and highlight the role of medicinal plant extracts, herbal medicines, and phytochemicals in the management of menopausal complaints. We aim to encourage the submission of original research, reviews, and case studies that explore the impact of menopause on women's physical, mental, sexual, and emotional health, especially through the lens of traditional and indigenous healing systems. Menopausal experiences worldwide, shaped by influences such as symptoms, ethnicity, cultural perspectives, social context, adversity, and general health.
We encourage submissions that address key challenges, including information gaps, accessibility of treatment, commercial pressures, and the limited evidence base for menopausal care. A central focus is the ethnopharmacology of menopause, exploring the use of medicinal plants, herbal remedies, and indigenous practices to manage symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety, low mood, sleep disturbances, and cognitive issues. Studies that critically appraise the clinical relevance, safety, mechanisms, and efficacy of phytotherapeutics are particularly welcome, especially where these approaches contribute to cultural acceptability and empower self-care. This topic aims to bridge conventional and traditional medicine, enabling better-informed healthcare decisions, and supports the Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5 by promoting equitable access and gender equality in menopausal health.

Studies need to comply with the best practice guidelines of the leading journals for pharmacological studies on plant extract / natural products including the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. A detailed description of the material studied, its extraction and processing is essential and manuscripts which lack such a description will be desk-rejected. You can freely download the full version here. Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool: https://ga-online.org/best-practice/

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Ethnopharmacology Medicinal Plants Herbal Medicine Phytotherapy Traditional Medicine Menopausal Symptoms Phytochemicals Cultural Perspectives Indigenous Knowledge Women's Health Global Health

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.