As a woman ages, many changes occur in her body. The monthly menstrual cycle should occur easily without debilitating or unpleasant symptoms such as PMS. The ebb and flow or hormones begins to become more erratic as a woman reaches peri-menopause and menopause, leading to irregular menstrual cycles. Often times, due to imbalances in hormone levels, symptoms are also associated with these phases in life, including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings and changes in libido.
Rethinking Hormone Replacement Therapy
Conventional medicine has often recommended using synthetic drugs such as Premarin® or Prempro® to alleviate these symptoms; this is often referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy has come under scrutiny lately as many clinical trials and studies, including the HERS/HERS II and WHI studies, detailing the inherent risks associated with synthetic (prescription drug) hormone replacement have shown that the risks outweigh the benefits in many situations. However, several natural approaches to rebalancing a woman’s hormones naturally are showing promise.
Botanical Medicine Can Help
In particular, phytoestrogens have shown beneficial effects on hot flashes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular health and bone health. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds found in certain foods, such as soybeans and flaxseed. These phytoestrogens act like mild estrogens within the body, helping to relieve many of the symptoms of estrogen imbalance. It is recommended that you take 50-100 mg of phytoestrogens daily in food or supplemental form. This would mean you would eat ½ cup of tofu (~40 mg phytoestrogens) and ½ cup of soy milk (30-40 mg phytoestrogens) or ¼ cup of roasted soy nuts (60 mg phytoestrogens) or take a supplement like SpectraSoy to achieve 50-100 mg of phytoestrogens daily.
In addition, I recommend that women consume 1-2 Tbsp of freshly ground flaxseed daily to increase their phytoestrogen intake. Be sure and keep flaxseed refrigerated when you are not using it, since it tends to go rancid rapidly.
Another natural approach that is getting a lot of press is the use of black cohosh. Black cohosh has been used effectively to help alleviate menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, depression and anxiety, as well as PMS and dysmenorrhea. It is generally recommended that one take 250 mg of standardized black cohosh 2-4 times daily. Many of our clients have had great success with Black Cohosh Plus or Selestro (a combination of black cohosh and soy isoflavones).
To learn more or purchase any of the products listed, please contact us.
Determining Your Imbalances is the Key
The key to determining which products you need is to determine what hormones may be out of balance. Questionnaires are often used to begin this process; click on the following links to find questionnaires to get you started if you are in peri-menopause or menopause or experiencing PMS. Alternatively, if you would like to know exactly what your levels are, or if you are not finding relief from the recommendations based on the questionnaires, several salivary hormone tests are available; you can use the following information and questionnaires to help you determine which test(s) may be right for you are experiencing symptoms of PMS, peri-menopause or menopause.
A woman’s hormones will fluctuate throughout her life – this is a normal, natural process. However, when a woman’s hormones are imbalanced, these fluctuations can cause a whole host of symptoms and disorders. Determining your particular imbalances using questionnaires and/or testing to guide your plan of action will greatly facilitate your journey along the natural path to optimal health.
