There is a natural period in a womens life normally between the ages of 45 and 55 when her fertility draws to an end, this period is called the menopause. Technically, the menopause for women is the date of their last period, but the process typically starts five to ten years as their ovaries begin to slowly run out of egg follicles. When this happens, the oestrogen levels begin to fall until too little is produced to keep a menstrual cycle. Some women adapt quickly to the new low levels of oestrogen but one in four suffers badly from the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. The typical symptoms from the oestrogen withdrawal are night sweats, hot flushes, migraines, headaches, tiredness, mood swings and in the long term can even lead to serious problems such as osteoporosis, stroke and coronary heart disease. Modern medicine commonly tackles the problems of menopausal symptoms by prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy aims to restore the oestrogen levels back to a normal pre-menopausal state, which stops the symptoms of oestrogen deficiency and can postpones the development of disease such as coronary heart disease and strokes. Many women do not want to take hormone replacement therapy because of the problems associated with it. The side effects of taking HRT by mouth can be nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloating. HRT patches can cause blistering, discoloration of the skin and hyperaemia. Studies in HRT have associated the prescription of HRT with an increase chance of developing breast cancer and cancer of the uterus. There are natural ways through diet, exercise and supplement in which a woman can combat the symptoms of the menopausal without taking hormone replacement therapy. This is the advice that I would recommend to a woman who is experiencing menopausal symptoms. It is best to keep meals simple but adequate and to eat little and often. It is best to avoid processed and refined foods, keep to natural whole foods such as fruit and vegetable. These are best raw but lightly steamed will be adequate. It is best to avoid complex mixtures of foods. To protect against the long term health problems of coronary heart disease associated with the menopause it is best to have plenty of fibre in the diet and to cut down on fat. It is recommended that women of all ages should keep the calcium levels high by eating calcium rich foods. In menopausal women this should cut down the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. Consuming large amounts of calcium rich foods does not mean drinking high volumes of milk. In fact, the best source of calcium can be found in Soya beans, sardines, turnips, peanuts, salmon, walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried beans and green vegetables. Calcium absorption can be prevented by consuming large quantise of fat, phytic acid which is found in wheat and oxalic acid which is found in rhubarb and chocolate. Eating plenty of vitamin D foods such as sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, fish liver oils, liver and eggs will be beneficial. Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium to build healthy bones. Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin as it can be synthesized in the body by the UVB rays in sunlight on the skins oil molecules. So, small amounts of sunshine are beneficial. Soya and linseed contain a compound called phytoestrogens which is related in structure to oestrogen. Soya is known to affect the symptoms of menopause and in countries where Soya is common in the diet hot flushes during menopause is rare. Consuming Soya products such as tofu, Soya milk, tempeh, roasted Soya nuts is beneficial, the exception being Soya sauce as this contains very little phytoestrogens. Exercise is very important; women who have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to have hot flushes than those women who are more active. Regular aerobic and weight being exercise such as running, cycling, swimming and brisk walking improves bone density. Exercise also improves the lungs and heart functions, which in tern helps to fight against the development of coronary heart disease. Exercise improves the immune system, keeps joints flexible, beats stress, helps you sleep, helps to protect against osteoporosis and keeps weight under control. Learning to deal with stress is another plus in the fight against the symptoms of menopause. Learning to relax by means such as yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques would be beneficial. Smoking is another problem for menopausal women; research has shown that women who smoke are more likely to suffer from hot flushes during menopause then those who dont. It would be beneficial to give up smoking. The following supplements may help if you are suffering from Menopause. Black cohosh Bone mineral complex Multivitamin and multiminerals Soya Vitamin C Vitamin E |
