Lifestyle impacts your health.

Introduction

Menopause is characterized by the cessation of menstruation, which results from a natural decline in ovarian function. This decline generally takes place between the ages of 45 and 55. A woman will also experience an artificial menopause if she has had her ovaries removed, has had radiation exposure to her ovaries, or has been exposed to select chemotherapeutic agents. In any case, symptoms commonly associated with menopause include:

These symptoms are most often related to a natural decline in the production of estrogen, which can also increase her risk for developing heart disease and osteoporosis. Typically, a woman s primary care physician will recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a means of reducing her symptoms and in an attempt to reduce her risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. However HRT comes with a number of risks, including the risk of developing breast cancer or stroke. Soy has been shown, through clinical research studies, to improve menopause related symptoms, prevent estrogen-deficiency diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis, and in recent years, has demonstrated great promise in preventing breast cancer in women.

Menopause and Heart Disease

In developed nations, the leading overall cause of mortality in women is heart disease and the risk of the disease increases dramatically after menopause. The loss of estrogen during menopause is thought to be the reason for the increased risk. Phytoestrogens such as soy reduce a woman's risk of heart disease, particularly after menopause, without the added concern of increasing her risk of breast and ovarian cancers (as is the case with synthetic hormone replacement therapy).

Specifically, phytoestrogens such as soy significantly reduce cholesterol levels (and particularly LDL cholesterol) and prevent atherosclerosis.

Soy not only protects a womans heart. The table below lists the wide range of clinical benefits that phytoestrogens like soy have on menopausal women.

Evidence is accumulating that plant phytoestrogens, like soy isoflavones, offer some of the same benefits as synthetic hormone replacement therapy without the harmful side effects. In February of 2002 researchers conducted an expansive review of all of the main studies published to date on the efficacy of soy in reducing the symptoms of menopause. Based on this exhaustive review, the researchers concluded that extracts of soy alleviate both the short-term symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and anxiety) AND the long-term effects menopause (such as osteoporosis and heart disease). Further, these researchers concluded that soy supplementation might likely reduce the risk of breast cancer. As you can see, soy is an important food with powerful medicinal properties specific for helping menopausal women.

Perimenopause Symptoms

• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Menstrual Changes
• Sleep Disturbances
• Bloating/Water Retention
• Hot Flashes
• Mild to Moderate Depression

If you have at least three of these perimenopause symptoms, you may be entering perimenopause, the transition period between a woman’s reproductive years and the cessation of ovarian function (menopause). This transition can last anywhere from four to ten years.

In a recent study of perimenopausal and menopausal women

• 73% reported hot flashes
• 66% night sweats
• 53% insomnia
• 50% mood changes.

Additionally, these menopausal symptoms may continue beyond menopause into the postmenopausal years.

This cooling lotion:

• is a unique blend of natural ingredients that offers soothing relief and can help reduce the often dramatic sensation of skin temperature fluctuations common in women in their late 30’s, 40’s and beyond.
• contains a proprietary, synergistic blend of more than a dozen natural herbs including black cohosh, soy isoflavones, evening primrose extract, flaxseed, and jojoba seed oils.
• is progesterone-free and may be used as often as needed without side effects.
• is pleasantly scented, and easy to use.

Listen to a discussion about Women's Heart Health
This 20 minute discussion covers:

• Why more women die of heart disease than men!
• Results of the WISE (Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation) Study
• What is ischemic heart disease?
• Differences between women's heart disease and men's heart disease
• The differences between women's and men's symptoms
• Why more women die from their first heart attack than do men
• Why women must make lifestyle changes earlier than men
• Risk factors for women
• What can we do to promote a healthy heart and reduce our risk factors
• Strategies to limit our weight
• Warning signs to report to our doctors

Premium supplements designed for healthy hearts.

Change Your Life:

• Exercise at least 3 times a week. Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet that concentrates on whole, unprocessed foods. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, the more fruits and vegetables are processed, the less nutritive value they have. Eat whole grains or foods made from whole grains. Beans (legumes) are a healthy, low fat source of protein and vitamins. Seeds and nuts contain essential fatty acids.
• Drink 8 - 10 eight ounces of pure water. Reduce or eliminate caffeine. Carbonated drinks should be severely restricted.
• Reduce your stress. There are numerous studies documenting the deleterious effects of stress on health. Make time for friends and family. Find ways of relaxing throughout the day. Consider meditation, deep breathing exercises, visualization techniques or prayer.
• Acupuncture may be helpful in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Animal research suggests that acupuncture may help normalize some biochemical changes that are associated with menopausal disturbances of memory, mood, and other functions. One preliminary trial in humans demonstrated a significant reduction (more than 50%) in hot flashes in menopausal women receiving either electroacupuncture (acupuncture with electrical stimulation) or superficial acupuncture (shallow needle insertion). Other preliminary trials support these results and suggest additional menopausal symptoms may also respond to acupuncture. However, no placebo-controlled trials have been done to conclusively prove the effectiveness of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms.

Helpful Supplements:

• The AMA has endorsed the need for a daily multivitamin. Once a woman no longer menstruates, she should no longer supplement iron unless advised by her physician. Supplementation of iron may mask a slow loss of blood and prevent the early detection of health problems.
• Take 200 - 400 IU of vitamin E daily. Selenium enhances the action of vitamin E. Also supplement vitamin C, 500 - 1000 mg each day, as vitamin C converts vitamin E into its helpful form after oxidation.
• Soy protein contains soy isoflavones which are said to exert effects similar to that of estrogen which alleviates some symptoms associated with menopause. They also contain phytoestrogens and, although unproven in clinical testing, remain very promising and are already widely used as hormone replacement therapies.
• Black cohosh is an herb that has been used in China for centuries for a variety of conditions. Intramedicine, the medical research firm based in Westlake Village, California, reports that scientists have been studying black cohosh s ability to mimic the effects of the hormone estrogen on the body. Clinical studies have reported positive effects on menopausal and post-menopausal complaints when using standardized extracts of the substance. One study has suggested that black cohosh may have a component that produces a hormonal balancing effect in the female reproductive system.
  
  Small German clinical trials support the usefulness of black cohosh for women with hot flashes associated with menopause. A review of eight clinical trials found black cohosh to be both safe and effective for symptomatic relief of menopausal hot flashes. Other symptoms which improved included night sweats, insomnia, nervousness, and irritability. A clinical trial compared the effects of 40 mg versus 130 mg of black cohosh in menopausal women with complaints of hot flashes. While hot flashes were reduced equally at both amounts, there was no evidence of any estrogenic effect in any of the women.
• A variety of herbs with weak estrogen-like actions similar to the effects of soy have traditionally been used for women with menopausal symptoms. These herbs include licorice, red clover, and dong quai.
• Preliminary evidence suggests that supplementation with St. John’s wort extract (300 mg three times daily for 12 weeks) may improve psychological symptoms, including sexual well-being, in menopausal women
• A double-blind trial found that Asian ginseng (200 mg per day of standardized extract) helped alleviate psychological symptoms of menopause, such as depression and anxiety, but did not decrease physical symptoms, such as hot flashes or sexual dysfunction, in postmenopausal women who had not been treated with hormones.
• Calcium helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis
• Estrogen replacement therapy medications can deplete vitamin B6.
• GLA is used by many women to maintain a sense of well-being throughout their monthly cycle. GLA, (gamma linolenic acid), are used by our bodies to form prostaglandins, potent, hormone-like substances which help the body to regulate many normal processes such as inflammation and blood clotting.

Related Sites:

MEDLINE plus on menopause.

Menopause Online

North American Menopause Society

Women's health needs change with time. When's the last time you re-evaluated yours?

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.