March 2008 - Vol 3 Issue 3
No More Menopause Madness
Natural treatment options for menopause relief
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.
Last month’s article, The Maddening State of Menopause was a little depressing I must admit. The final conclusion on medical menopause treatment options is that there is no one answer for every woman. Furthermore, we seem to know more about what not to do, then what we really should do when treating menopause symptoms. But, on a positive note, there are lots of natural products on the market that have proven effective for managing some of the worst menopause symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, and bone loss.
A Supplementary Approach
Foods and nutritional supplements although sometimes controversial, play a very helpful role in managing menopause. The following options have been proven to offer some relief:
- Soy Foods – Soybeans contain phytoestrogens that behave similarly to estrogen without many of the harmful side effects. Studies have shown that soy isoflavones reduce hot flashes and also improve bone health. For these benefits add soy to your daily diet through soy milk, tofu, miso, edamame, and veggie burgers.
- Black Cohosh – A research trial of over 2,000 women indicated that black cohosh extract can decrease vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sweating, insomnia, and anxiety. A reliable source of this herbal remedy can be found in the supplement, Remifemin®.
- Flaxseed – In a small study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, researchers found that women who consumed 4 Tablespoons of ground flaxseed per day experienced 50% fewer hot flashes. However, be warned, too much flaxseed can cause diarrhea and gas. Eliminate this problem by adding flaxseed to your diet slowly (1-2 Tbsp per day working up to the recommended 4 Tbsp). Sprinkle ground flaxseeds over cereal, yogurt or add to muffin mix before baking.
- Calcium & Vitamin D – It is widely-accepted through years of research that calcium and vitamin D help to prevent the bone loss that accompanies menopause. Be sure to get at least 1200 mg of calcium and approximately 400 IU of vitamin D per day. This can be achieved with 2 Adora Calcium supplement disks per day, along with regular sun exposure for added vitamin D production. (See also Be Supplement Savvy).
Time Will Tell
One of the major concerns that the medical community has surrounding the use of nutritional supplements is the lack of reliable, long-term studies. While this is certainly a valid concern, as time goes by we will have gathered ample research in this area. In the meantime, it is safe to assume that most foods and food-based supplements are an easy addition to the menopausal women’s daily routine.
Next month we will review even more natural options for treating menopause symptoms in “Menopause Relief: A Common Sense Approach”.
References
- National Women’s Health Network. Ask the Women’s Health Voice: Herbs and Phytoestrogen. www.nwhn.org. 2/05. retrieved 3/14/08 LINK
- Croatto, Pete. Making Women's Health Better. Natural Products Insider. August 27, 2007.
- Kearns, Brenda. Natural Alternatives to HRT. Women’s World. 2/18/08
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Flaxseed: Can it relieve hot flashes? MayoClinic.com. Dec 29, 2007. retrieved 3/14/08 LINK
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