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Natural Remedies For Perimenopause And Menopause Symptoms.
By Lynn Donn, Thu Dec 8th
More and more women are seeking natural alternative treatmentsfor symptoms of menopause, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps themost compelling reason for many is the association betweenconventional hormone replacement therapy and a number of serioushealth risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer andblood clots, although the link has by no means been proven, andthe issue is currently the subject of serious debate amongwomen’s health experts. Many women have experienced unpleasantside effects resulting from conventional HRT, including nausea,headaches and vaginal bleeding. Many women simply feelapprehensive at the thought of taking drugs which have beenmanufactured synthetically. The whole notion of returning to old fashioned herbal treatmentsand folk remedies has a certain comforting, romantic appeal.Some of the herbal medicines which are being rediscovered havebeen used to treat a range of ailments for literally thousandsof years. There is a commonly held belief that medicines derivedfrom natural sources are necessarily free from the risk ofnegative side effects, harmful interactions and allergicreactions. This is simply not true. Whatever kind of medicationyou choose to take, it’s essential that you fully understand howit works, what dosage level is appropriate for you, and whatobjective research has been done on its effectiveness and itspotential hazards. Your doctor is the best person to provide youwith professional, individual advice and attention. Informationyou find online and in women’s health publications is a usefulsupplement to your doctor’s advice, and it’s wise to read aswidely as you can to get an overall picture of the issues. Yourhealth is the most important thing you have, and while you arefree to make your own choices about treating menopause symptoms,it’s vital that you make these choices with your eyes open. Most experts believe that all of the common symptoms ofmenopause are caused by the dramatic decline and fluctuations inthe body’s levels of estrogen and to some extent progesterone,and the imbalance between them. Approaches to alleviatingsymptoms generally focus around restoring these hormone levels.Natural treatments are typically made from extracts of plantscontaining substances which are very similar to the estrogenand/or progesterone produced by the ovaries. The effectivenessof these treatments relies on the assumption that thesephytoestrogens and plant progesterones have a similar effect inthe body to the body’s own natural hormones. Some herbaltreatments work by stimulating glands to produce naturalhormones more effectively, rather than restoring the hormonesartificially.
Another approach is to treat each symptom individually. There isa range of natural treatments which focus specifically onalleviating common symptoms such as hot flashes, depression,libido problems, vaginal dryness and fatigue. Estrogen treatments. Soy By far the richest source of phytoestrogens (sometimes called“isoflavones”) is soybeans, and foods made from soy extracts.Soy can be consumed in the form of tofu, soy cheese, meatsubstitute products such as soy burgers, breads and muffins madewith soy flour, and soy drinks, sometimes known as “soy milk”.Some studies have shown that consuming soy beverages or breadsmade with soy flour twice daily can reduce the severity or thenumber of hot flashes, but results have been inconclusive andinconsistent. Soy powders and pills contain much higher levelsof phytoestrogens than soy foods, and may have a moresignificant effect in alleviating menopause symptoms than soyfoods, but little is known about the potential hazards.Consuming soy extracts and soy foods may have a range of otherhealth benefits, including reducing the risk of osteoporosis,cancer and heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. Some studiessuggest that phytoestrogens may actually help to reduce the riskof breast cancer by blocking the overproduction of naturalestrogen in the body. Herbs containing phytoestrogens Red clover has been used in Asia for thousands of years to treatskin conditions, asthma, bronchitis, kidney stones, jointdisorders and breast inflammation. It is thought to work byimproving circulation and stimulating urine and mucousproduction, or “purifying the blood”. Red clover has beenrecently discovered to contain high levels of phytoestrogens,and
its usefulness in the treatment of menopause symptoms isbeing investigated. Some studies have shown the herb to be veryeffective in reducing hot flashes and improving bone density andstrength, while others have been inconclusive. Dong Quai is an important herb used in Chinese medicine, and hasbeen used to treat PMS, menstrual irregularities and menopausesymptoms for thousands of years, although its effectiveness hasyet to be clinically verified by Western health practitioners.It is also believed to dilate blood vessels, and is used totreat high blood pressure and circulatory problems. Black Cohosh Black cohosh is commonly believed to contain phytoestrogens,although clinical studies to confirm this have been far fromconclusive. It is a perennial plant native to North America, andis also known as black snakeroot, bugbane, rattleroot andmacrotys. The plant has a long history of usefulness as amedicinal treatment, first by Native American people and morerecently by alternative health practitioners, and has been usedto treat a range of gynecological ailments including menopausesymptoms, infertility, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries,and to induce lactation, bring on menstruation, and alleviatelabor pains. It has also been used to treat rheumatism, fever,coughs and colds, hives and backache. Some studies have shownthat taking pills made from black cohosh extract is very helpfulin providing short term relief from a range of menopausesymptoms including hot flashes, depression, mood swings andanxiety. However, little is known about the effects of takingthe treatment in the long term, and some negative side effectshave been reported, including headaches, stomach and gastricdiscomfort and weight gain. Maca Peruvian Maca root is believed to work by stimulating glands inthe body to produce their own estrogen and testosterone. Macahas been cultivated in the Andes region for perhaps thousands ofyears, and has been used as a treatment to increase energy,enhance libido and increase fertility. Maca root is claimed toprovide a range of benefits, including alleviating PMS symptoms,reducing depression and stress, increasing athletic ability andcreating a general sense of well being. It is also claimed to beeffective in treating a wide range of menopausal symptoms,including mood swings, depression, irritability, anxiety,fatigue, hot flashes, reduced libido, sleep disturbances andbreast tenderness. Objective clinical research into theeffectiveness and the potential hazards of taking Maca rootsupplements is very scant. Progesterone treatments. An alternative view of the causes of menopause symptoms placesmore emphasis on the role of progesterone, and the imbalancebetween progesterone and estrogen. “Estrogen dominance” is arecently identified syndrome, and is believed by a small numberof doctors to be the cause of severe PMS and menstrual problemsin early adulthood, and a range of severe symptoms as menopauseapproaches. Advocates of progesterone treatments believe them tobe free from the health risks and side effects associated withestrogen based treatments. Natural progesterone cream Natural progesterone creams usually contain extracts fromMexican wild yam, which contains a substance which is believedto be similar to the progesterone produced in the body. Thecreams are applied to the parts of the body where the skin isthinner, such as the breasts, inner thighs, inner forearms orstomach, and are believed to pass through the skin and circulatethrough the body. Many women have found natural progesteronecreams to be very effective in treating menopause symptoms, butthere is no evidence to show that the creams lower the risk ofbreast and uterine cancer, or are free from the risk of sideeffects as is sometimes claimed. Chaste tree berry Chaste tree berry, sometimes known as Chasteberry or Vitex agnuscastus has been used since ancient Greek times to treat a rangeof ailments. It is believed to stimulate the production ofprogesterone, and has been shown to be very effective inalleviating severe PMS and a range of menopausal symptoms About the author:Lynn Donn is the webmaster forhttp://www.menopause-symptoms-perimenopause.com Her websiteincludes helpful articles on perimenopause and menopausesymptoms including hot flashes and night sweats. Site offerssuggestions on how to ease symptoms of menopause andperimenopause naturally using black cohosh, soy and naturalprogesterone cream etc.
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