| In light of the recent findings on Hormone | | | | sometimes low-dose DHEA and perhaps St. John's |
| Replacement Therapy (HRT) many women find | | | | wort work very well in controlling the symptoms |
| themselves with a big question about taking a little | | | | of menopause. |
| pill. | | | | Dong quai, an adoptogenic, balances hormones. |
| A large, federally funded clinical trial, part of a | | | | Vitex or Chaste Berry has been used for |
| group of studies called the Women's Health | | | | decades to regulate estrogen and progesterone |
| Initiative (WHI), has definitively shown for the first | | | | production by working through the pituitary gland. |
| time that the hormones in question - estrogen | | | | Black cohosh has been the menopausal "tonic" of |
| and progestin - are not the age-defying wonder | | | | Native Americans throughout history. Studies |
| drugs everyone thought they were. As if that | | | | have shown, black cohosh extract, to provide as |
| weren't bad enough, the results proved that | | | | much symptomatic relief as Premarin. DHEA can |
| taking these hormones together for more than a | | | | help with decreased libido and overall declining |
| few years actually increases a woman's risk of | | | | energy levels and St. John's wort can help combat |
| developing potentially deadly cardiovascular | | | | depression and mood swings. |
| problems and invasive breast cancer, among | | | | Building Bone/Preventing Osteoporosis |
| other things. The principal message was taking | | | | In dealing with supplementation for women at any |
| estrogen and progestin for years in the hope of | | | | age, preserving and building bone density should |
| preventing a heart attack or stroke can no longer | | | | always be considered. Unfortunately, only about |
| be considered a valid medical strategy. | | | | 11% of women get adequate calcium everyday. |
| Here at last was a rare moment of clarity. The | | | | Studies have clearly shown the importance of |
| debate over the long-term benefits and risks of | | | | Calcium in building and preserving bone. Magnesium |
| HRT has lasted for decades. Now we have at | | | | deficiency is as much a problem in bone health as |
| least a few concrete answers. This wasn't just | | | | inadequate calcium. Again, more than 80% of |
| another isolated study contradicting the last one | | | | American women are magnesium deficient, and |
| to make headlines. Federal health officials | | | | because calcium and magnesium work in balance |
| announced that the jury was finally in-and that the | | | | with each other, it is important to supplement |
| drug Prempro (a combination of estrogen and | | | | these together. Supplemental Vitamin D is |
| progestin) does significantly more harm than good | | | | necessary for the proper absorption of calcium, |
| when taken for long periods of time. Women | | | | and Boron has also been shown to have |
| have been told for decades that estrogen taken | | | | bone-building properties. |
| with progestin would not only ease hot flashes | | | | Numerous studies have also shown ipriflavone to |
| and insomnia but help preserve bone strength, | | | | be particularly useful in the treatment of low bone |
| mental acuity and, most important, heart health. | | | | density and osteoperosis. Ipriflavone, a derivative |
| There's no question that HRT can ease the acute | | | | of the soy isoflavone diadzein not only prevents a |
| symptoms of menopause, and the claim about | | | | type of bone cell called osteoclasts from breaking |
| bone strength has held up to scrutiny. But after | | | | down bone, but also stimulates other bone cells, |
| observing more than 16,000 women for roughly | | | | osteoblasts, to build new bone. Ostevone, the |
| five years, researchers found conclusively that | | | | branded Ipriflavone I recommend, has been |
| the hormones in Prempro raise the risk of heart | | | | chemically shown to rival their not so healthful |
| attack, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer. The | | | | pharmaceutical counterparts, and without the |
| federally sponsored study was supposed to run | | | | devastating side effects. |
| for eight years, but the five-year results were so | | | | Foods and Phytonutrients |
| decisive that researchers cut it short and urged | | | | Perhaps not as easy as swallowing a pill, eating a |
| the participants to stop taking their pills. | | | | healthier diet can significantly ease the transition |
| The findings are so striking that the study was | | | | through menopause, as well as provide additional |
| stopped three years short of its scheduled | | | | benefits in treating or preventing other illnesses. |
| completion. With more than an estimated 13.5 | | | | Current research points to the role of |
| million U.S. Women using hormone replacement | | | | phytoestrogens (phyto means plant), natural plant |
| therapy (HRT) to treat symptoms of menopause | | | | hormones that provide a mild estrogenic activity |
| such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, and to | | | | in the body. By incorporating foods high in these |
| protect against bone-thinning osteoporosis, it's no | | | | into your diet, not only do you ease symptoms |
| wonder the news caused such gasps and the talk | | | | of menopause, they also provide the added |
| hasn't stopped since. Women across the U.S. | | | | benefits of reducing your risk of heart disease - |
| immediately called their doctors, mothers, | | | | still the leading cause of death for older women. |
| daughters, and friends, questioning whether they | | | | Soy |
| should still be taking their pills and what, if any, are | | | | When it comes to easing menopause symptoms, |
| their alternatives? | | | | soy seems nothing less than a wonder food. A |
| Why HRT in the first place? | | | | number of recent studies have found soy foods |
| For decades, millions of women have been told | | | | to reduce these symptoms due to the powerful |
| that HRT is a veritable fountain of youth. More | | | | phytoestrogens called isoflavones that they |
| than 40% of all women in the U.S. start some | | | | contain. Soy is what is known as an "adaptogenic" |
| form of HRT in their menopause years. Although | | | | - the phytoestrogens genistein and diadzein in soy |
| it is estimated 50% of the women on HRT | | | | can have an estrogen like effect if your estrogen |
| discontinue it within the first year, many continue | | | | levels are low, and will actually bind to estrogen |
| it well into their 70s and 80s, convinced that the | | | | receptor sites and block estrogen if levels are too |
| little pills will stave off aging and a host of other | | | | high. For this reason, soy is a great natural way |
| health concerns. | | | | to balance hormone levels and can be used as a |
| Once upon a time the concept of menopause and | | | | safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy, |
| its symptoms were almost unheard of because | | | | offering most of the benefits, without the risks or |
| the vast majority of women rarely lived long | | | | side effects. Other studies have also suggested |
| enough to experience them. And, for the women | | | | that these same isoflavones can increase bone |
| who did survive, menopause was seen as a | | | | mass and reduce cholesterol levels - two other |
| marker for imminent and inevitable physical | | | | main concerns for menopausal women. Functional |
| decline. Until the early 1900's that is, when it was | | | | soy beverages like OptiPRO S have been |
| first discovered that extracts from pigs' ovaries | | | | specifically formulated with high standardized levels |
| could "put off old age for a score of years," or at | | | | of isoflavones, calcium, magnesium, boron, |
| least "mitigate its effects when it has asserted | | | | selenium and specialized enzymes to provide one |
| itself with all its terrors." By the early 1940s, drug | | | | of the simplest, easiest ways to mitigate |
| makers were mass-producing estrogen from | | | | symptoms, while protecting cardiovascular health, |
| pregnant mares' urine (hence the brand name | | | | bone density, lower cancer risk, and manage |
| Premarin). And by 1960 the New England Journal | | | | weight. |
| of Medicine was commending the drug for | | | | Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains - It's |
| "everyone with evidence of an estrogen lack"- | | | | important to make sure your diet includes plenty |
| which is to say virtually every woman over 50. | | | | of phytonutrient rich foods such as fruits, |
| Over the years the medical arguments for | | | | vegetables and whole grains. Phytoestrogens can |
| prescribing estrogen may have changed, but the | | | | be found in apples, carrots, plums, peas, green |
| idea that a single pill might turn back the clock still | | | | beans, barley, oats and rye. |
| holds promise to many. Last year U.S. | | | | Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli contain |
| pharmacists filled some 45 million prescriptions for | | | | the powerful phyochemical indole-3-carbinol, shown |
| Premarin and an additional 22 million for Prempro, | | | | to convert powerful estrogens in the body to |
| which consists of the same drug with added | | | | weaker, less carcinogenic ones. Citrus fruits and |
| progestin. | | | | other foods high in biflavonoids, such as |
| Menopause is not a disease - why do we treat it | | | | blueberries, cherries and grapes are also |
| as one? | | | | particularly beneficial. |
| Perhaps the real question we need to answer is - | | | | Biflavonoids not only strengthen the circulatory |
| is it time to stop treating menopause as a | | | | system, which is helpful in treating hot flashes, |
| disease, and to look at it as a natural, normal, | | | | menstrual flow and varicose veins, but they are |
| physiological process. The idea that our bodies fail | | | | also powerful anti-oxidants useful in the prevention |
| us at menopause is ludicrous, sexist and just plain | | | | of cancer. |
| wrong. And yes, for many there are undeniable | | | | Flax seed is one of the richest sources of |
| unpleasant symptoms that go along with it. But | | | | Omega-3 essential fatty acids as well as one of |
| wouldn't it be more appropriate to treat those | | | | the best sources of a form of phytoestrogen |
| symptoms, perhaps even naturally, rather than | | | | called lignans. |
| treat menopause as a medical condition requiring | | | | Lignans have been shown to reduce hot flashes |
| pharmaceuticals? | | | | and are beneficial in the prevention and treatment |
| What are the alternatives? | | | | of breast and colon cancer, lowering cholesterol |
| For millions of women, the question of whether to | | | | levels and promoting breast and vaginal health. |
| take hormone replacement therapy after | | | | |
| menopause just got more confusing. And the | | | | Exercise |
| thought of quitting HRT if it has successfully | | | | There's no better natural way to treat both the |
| mitigated symptoms can be a scary thought. If | | | | physical, as well as the emotional, symptoms of |
| you're using HRT in hopes it will protect your | | | | menopause than with exercise. Exercise relieves |
| heart, prevent osteoporosis or relieve symptoms | | | | stress, which is known to exacerbate symptoms, |
| such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, | | | | not to mention improves mood, builds strength, |
| memory loss, vaginal dryness and declining libido, | | | | helps control weight, and increases bone density. |
| you will be happy to know that many women | | | | In light of the recent findings, some physicians will |
| have found tremendous success in a more holistic | | | | change their thinking dramatically; others will not |
| approach of herbs and nutritional supplements, | | | | change at all and will be as proactive for HRT as |
| whole foods - particularly soy, and exercise. | | | | they've ever been. One thing is for sure, |
| Herbs -Vitamins | | | | however, it's time for women to take |
| Long before Premarin, women sought relief | | | | responsibility for their own bodies and how to |
| through herbal remedies. A basic regimen of | | | | best protect themselves from osteoporosis and |
| vitamins, minerals and a few herbs work very | | | | other ravages of age without resorting to |
| well to relieve the symptoms of menopause. | | | | old-fashioned hormones. The world of menopause |
| Every woman has different needs, but basically a | | | | management is in for some big changes, and the |
| program that includes calcium, magnesium, black | | | | age of estrogen, without question, is over. |
| cohosh, vitex (chaste berry) dong qui and | | | | |