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Women's Wellness Easing the Symptoms of Menopause Menopause is the cessation of the monthly female menstrual cycle. Most commonly, menopause takes place when a woman is in her late forties or early fifties. Women who have not had a menstrual period for a year are considered postmenopausal. Many hormonal changes occur during menopause. Primarily as a result of decreases in estrogen, postmenopausal women are at higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Several unpleasant symptoms may accompany menopause. Some, such as vaginal dryness, result from the lack of estrogen. Others, such as hot flashes and decreased sex drive, are caused by more complex hormonal changes. The power of soy Soybeans contain compounds called phytoestrogens that are related in structure to estrogen. Soy is known to affect the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. Societies with high consumption of soy products have a low incidence of hot flashes during menopause. In one double-blind trial, supplementation with 60 grams of soy protein caused a 33% decrease in the number of hot flashes after four weeks and a 45% reduction after 12 weeks. However, in further analysis of the data in this trial, researchers credit constituents in soybeans other than phytoestrogens for the therapeutic effect. In one controlled clinical trial, high intake of phytoestrogens from soy and flaxseed reduced both hot flashes and vaginal dryness; however, much (though not all) of the benefit was also seen in the control group. As a result of these studies, doctors often recommend that women experiencing menopausal symptoms eat tofu, soy milk, tempeh, roasted soy nuts, and other soybased sources of phytoestrogens. Soy sauce contains very little phytoestrogen content, and many processed foods made from soybean concentrates have insignificant levels of phytoestrogens. Supplements containing isoflavones extracted from soy are available at Henry's Markets, and flaxseed (as opposed to flaxseed oil) is also a good source of phytoestrogens. To learn more about the joy of soy, click here. Lifestyle changes that may be helpful during menopause Sedentary women are more likely to have moderate or severe hot flashes compared with women who exercise. In one trial, menopausal symptoms were reduced immediately after aerobic exercise. Cigarette smoking may be related to hot flashes in menopausal women. Preliminary data has shown that women who experience hot flashes are more likely to be smokers. Another preliminary study found that new users of hormone replacement therapy for the relief of menopausal symptoms were more likely to be current cigarette smokers than were those who had never smoked. Natural remedies Many natural alternatives are available in our Natural Living department that may help soothe symptoms of menopause. Products include assorted varieties of Emerita® Pro-Gest® body cream, Source Naturals Eternal Woman Hot Flash, Enzymatic Therapy AM/PM Menopause Formula, and Novogen Promensil. Hormone Therapy If you are currently using hormone therapy, talk with your health care professional first before stopping your medication. There are other drugs and lifestyle strategies to keep bones strong that don’t involve the same risks. Discuss with your health care professional which therapies and lifestyle strategies, such as increasing calcium intake and exercise, are the safest, most effective options to meet your health needs and to prevent osteoporosis. Sources: National Women’s Health Resource Center National Osteoporosis Foundation Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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