Last checked September 2026 against 22 sources · Editorial policy
Natural remedies for hot flash relief
The best-supported natural hot flash relief isn't a pill: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), clinical hypnosis and, if you're overweight, losing weight are recommended by The North American Menopause Society. Soy isoflavones and black cohosh may help modestly. Cooling tricks, avoiding triggers, yoga and aerobic exercise help comfort and health but haven't reduced hot flashes in trials. Herbal supplements aren't recommended by NAMS, and HRT remains the most effective treatment.
CBT, clinical hypnosis and weight loss have the best evidence for natural hot flash relief. Soy and black cohosh help modestly; cooling, yoga and exercise don't cut flashes.
Natural remedies for hot flashes: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“There's a natural cure for hot flashes if I find the right herb”
What the evidence shows
There's no natural cure, but there are proven non-drug options. In the MENOS 2 trial, group and self-help CBT made hot flashes and night sweats significantly less of a problem at 6 and 26 weeks and reduced night sweat frequency. Clinical hypnosis reduced hot flash frequency in an NCCIH-funded study. Most herbs failed to beat placebo in good trials.
Natural hot flash relief: what works and what doesn't
Cognitive behavioral therapy for hot flashes
CBT is a structured talking therapy, delivered in groups or through a self-help book. In the MENOS 2 trial, both group CBT and a self-help CBT book reduced how problematic hot flashes and night sweats were at 6 weeks and 26 weeks, and cut night sweat frequency, with better mood and quality of life. NAMS rates CBT as recommended with Level I evidence.
Clinical hypnosis
Hypnotherapy uses a state of focused attention in which you respond more strongly to suggestions. In an NCCIH-funded study, it reduced hot flash frequency in women with frequent hot flashes, who also said hot flashes interfered less with their lives and they slept better. NAMS recommends clinical hypnosis with Level I evidence. It's generally safe when delivered by a trained clinician.
Weight loss
If you're overweight, losing weight is a recommended hot flash strategy in the NAMS 2023 statement, based on limited evidence. The NHS also advises regular exercise to keep to a healthy weight. Weight loss has other benefits in midlife, when fat gain speeds up and muscle mass declines during the menopause transition.
Learn more →Cooling and avoiding triggers
The NHS suggests lightweight clothing, a cool bedroom, a cool shower, a fan or a cold drink, and avoiding triggers such as spicy food, caffeine, hot drinks, smoking and alcohol. These make hot flashes easier to live with, but NAMS says cooling techniques and trigger avoidance haven't been shown to reduce hot flashes in trials, so they're comfort measures, not treatments.
Diet and soy for hot flashes
Soy isoflavone supplements reduced hot flash frequency by 20.6% vs placebo in a meta-analysis. In a small 12-week trial, a low-fat vegan diet with half a cup of cooked soybeans a day cut hot flashes by 79% vs 49% in the control group. NAMS still doesn't recommend soy foods or extracts, citing inconsistent evidence.
Learn more →Herbs for hot flashes
Black cohosh has the most evidence: moderate certainty for hot flashes in a 2026 IMS review, though a Cochrane review found no benefit over placebo. Red clover, flaxseed, dong quai and evening primrose oil didn't clearly work in trials. Herbal remedies aren't recommended by NAMS, aren't FDA-approved, and some interact with medicines.
Learn more →Exercise, yoga and breathing
Exercise and yoga improve mood, sleep, bones and quality of life, but in the MsFLASH trials aerobic exercise and yoga didn't reduce hot flash frequency. NAMS doesn't recommend paced breathing alone, exercise or yoga as hot flash treatments. They're still worth doing for overall health; just don't expect them to stop flushes. Strength training is the one exception so far: in a single randomized trial, 15 weeks of lifting three times a week cut moderate to severe hot flashes by 43.6%.
Learn more →Acupuncture
Acupuncture reduced hot flashes compared with no treatment, but not compared with simulated acupuncture, which suggests much of the effect is placebo, NCCIH says. It appeared less effective than hormone therapy. NAMS doesn't recommend it for hot flashes. It's generally safe with an experienced practitioner and sterile needles.
Learn more →Natural remedies for hot flashes by the numbers
From the studies on this page
fewer hot flashes with soy isoflavone supplements vs placebo
20.6%
drop in hot flashes with a vegan diet plus soybeans vs no diet change, in a small trial
79% vs 49%
26 weeks
0.07
The vegan diet trial had 38 women and no placebo; larger trials are needed.
Natural hot flash treatments compared
CBT
Good for
Recommended by NAMS with Level I evidence; group or self-help formats both worked in MENOS 2.Watch
Makes hot flashes less bothersome more than it stops them.Clinical hypnosis
Good for
Recommended by NAMS; reduced hot flash frequency and improved sleep in an NCCIH-funded study.Watch
Needs a trained clinician.Soy isoflavones
Learn more →Good for
About 20.6% fewer hot flashes in a meta-analysis.Watch
Not recommended by NAMS; may not suit women who shouldn't take estrogen.Black cohosh
Learn more →Good for
Moderate-certainty evidence in the 2026 IMS review.Watch
Cochrane found no benefit; rare liver damage.Cooling and trigger avoidance
Good for
Cheap and easy; the NHS suggests them for comfort.Watch
Not shown to reduce hot flash frequency.
How to get natural hot flash relief
- Start with CBT or hypnosis: they're recommended and have no drug interactions.
- Keep a hot flash diary for 2 weeks to spot personal triggers such as caffeine, alcohol or spicy food.
- If you try a supplement, pick one with trial evidence, check the dose and stop after about 12 weeks if it doesn't help.
- Talk to a doctor before taking herbal supplements, as the NHS advises.
When to see a doctor about hot flashes
Hot flashes disrupting sleep, work or daily life
Ask about HRT or non-hormonal medicines such as SSRIs, gabapentin or fezolinetant.
More →Night sweats with weight loss, fever, a cough or diarrhea
See a doctor; night sweats can have causes other than menopause.
More →Yellow skin, dark urine or belly pain on an herbal remedy
Stop it and see a doctor; some herbs can damage the liver.
Hot flashes after breast cancer
Talk to your oncology team before trying phytoestrogens or herbs.
Natural remedies for hot flashes: questions women ask
What is the best natural remedy for hot flashes?
CBT and clinical hypnosis have the strongest evidence and are recommended by The North American Menopause Society. Among supplements, soy isoflavones and black cohosh show modest, inconsistent benefits.
How do I get rid of hot flashes naturally?
You may not get rid of them entirely, but CBT, hypnosis and losing excess weight can make them fewer or less bothersome. Cooling, lighter clothes and avoiding triggers help comfort. For severe hot flashes, HRT works best.
What are home remedies for hot flash relief?
The NHS suggests lightweight clothing, a cool bedroom, cool showers, a fan or cold drink, stress reduction and avoiding spicy food, caffeine, hot drinks, smoking and alcohol. These ease comfort but haven't reduced hot flashes in trials.
What natural herb helps hot flashes?
Black cohosh has the most evidence, rated moderate certainty in a 2026 review, though a Cochrane review found no benefit. Red clover, flaxseed and dong quai haven't worked in good trials.
Related →Do natural remedies for hot flashes really work?
Some do, modestly. CBT and hypnosis work in trials; soy isoflavones cut hot flashes by about a fifth. Many herbs and supplements performed no better than placebo, which itself often reduces hot flashes.
Can diet stop hot flashes?
Diet alone rarely stops them. A small trial of a low-fat vegan diet with soybeans cut hot flashes by 79% vs 49% without changes, but NAMS says evidence for diet changes is inconsistent.
Related →Is there a natural medicine for hot flashes?
No natural product is FDA-approved for hot flashes. FDA-approved non-hormonal options include low-dose paroxetine, fezolinetant and elinzanetant, and HRT is the most effective.
Related →How long do natural hot flash remedies take to work?
CBT helped within 6 weeks in MENOS 2. Supplement trials usually ran about 12 weeks, and rhapontic rhubarb extract reduced hot flashes by week 4.
Are there natural cures for hot flashes?
No natural remedy cures hot flashes, but CBT and clinical hypnosis reduce how much they bother you, and NAMS recommends both. Natural ways to cope, such as fans and cool drinks, ease comfort.
Sources
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590.
- Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, et al. Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2012;19(7):776-90.
- Maunder A, Mardon AK, Rao V, et al. Complementary therapies for management of menopausal symptoms: a systematic review to inform the update of the International Menopause Society recommendations on women's midlife health. Climacteric. 2026;29(2):165-209.
- Ayers B, Smith M, Hellier J, et al. Effectiveness of group and self-help cognitive behavior therapy in reducing problematic menopausal hot flushes and night sweats (MENOS 2): a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012;19(7):749-59.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Menopausal symptoms: in depth.
- Leach MJ, Moore V. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga spp.) for menopausal symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2012(9):CD007244.
- Lethaby A, Marjoribanks J, Kronenberg F, et al. Phytoestrogens for menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(12):CD001395.
- NHS. Things you can do to help menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
- Greendale GA, Sternfeld B, Huang M, et al. Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition. JCI Insight. 2019;4(5):e124865.
- Barnard ND, Kahleova H, Holtz DN, et al. The Women's Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS): a randomized, controlled trial of a plant-based diet and whole soybeans for postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2021;28(10):1150-1156.
- Pruthi S, Qin R, Terstreip SA, et al. A phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of flaxseed for the treatment of hot flashes: North Central Cancer Treatment Group N08C7. Menopause. 2012;19(1):48-53.
- Guthrie KA, LaCroix AZ, Ensrud KE, et al. Pooled Analysis of Six Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Interventions for Vasomotor Symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;126(2):413-422.
- NCCIH. Yoga: effectiveness and safety.
- Berin E, Hammar M, Lindblom H, et al. Resistance training for hot flushes in postmenopausal women: A randomised controlled trial. Maturitas. 2019;126:55-60.
- NHS. Night sweats.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Black cohosh: usefulness and safety.
- Heger M, Ventskovskiy BM, Borzenko I, et al. Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause. 2006;13(5):744-59.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements.
- Prescribing information: Brisdelle (paroxetine 7.5 mg capsules). Legacy Pharma, 2025. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- Prescribing information: Veozah (fezolinetant tablets). Astellas Pharma, 2026. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- Prescribing information: Lynkuet (elinzanetant capsules). Bayer HealthCare, 2026. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- NHS. Things you can do to help menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
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