Gerifrote

First nine of a total thirty ingredients (for more information, see the
Product Profile):

Chyavanprash concentrate
Cow-itch plant (Mucuna pruriens [L.] DC.) seed
Gotukola (Centella asiatica [L.] Urb.) leaves
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.) root
Loosestrife (Asparagus adscendens Roxb.) root
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal.) root
Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna [Roxb. ex. DC.] Wight & Arn.)
bark
Elephant creeper (Argyreia speciosa [L. f.] Sweet) root
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) root


Geriforte® is manufactured by The Himalaya Drug Company in
India, and distributed in the United States by Himalaya USA. Each
tablet contains 1.005 g of a proprietary herbal blend of thirty ingredients
(see the product report for a full list of ingredients). The current
recommended dose is one tablet twice a day (Himalaya USA, 2002).
A prior formulation of Geriforte, label dated May 1999, also cited 12
mg vitamin C and 40 mg calcium. No details of the product used in
the following trial were included in the trial report. Geriforte is also
available under the name of GeriCare®.



Menopausal Symptoms

The benefits of Geriforte were assessed in a small controlled study
that included 25 women with postmenopausal depression and symptoms
of headache, vague body ache, hot flashes, chest pain, palpitations,
personality change, insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, and
others. The study participants were given placebo for six weeks and
then Geriforte (two tablets three times a day) for six weeks. They
were evaluated every week during the 12-week period. Geriforte was
effective in reducing symptoms of headache, hot flashes, insomnia,
and improved self-confidence compared to placebo (Damle and
Gore, 1983). However, the study was not well described and appeared
to have significant methodological limitations. Thus, according
to our reviewer, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, any potential benefit for
menopausal symptoms cannot be determined from this trial.


No significant side effects were reported and no abnormalities
were revealed by laboratory tests. Epigastric distress was reported in
six patients (24 percent) in the initial phase of the study. The study report
explained that this side effect disappeared with a reduction in
dose, but did not give any further details such as how much the dose
was reduced (Damle and Gore, 1983).