MENOPAUSE

Menopause is the cessation of menses, when hormones of the fertility cycle wind down, the ovaries stop releasing eggs, and pregnancy is no longer possible. For some it can be a greatly anticipated event and for others the time is difficult and tumultuous. The average age of menopause is 51, with perimenopause (the period leading into menopause) starting several years earlier. Menopause is achieved after one year has passed since the last menses, but some women experience symptoms for years before menstruation totally stops and have symptoms up to a decade after. Menopause can be induced at any age by radiation, surgery, and medication. It is not a disease but a normal life process for women.

Symptoms
Menopause is different for every woman. Women consuming the standard North American diet tend to have more menopausal symptoms than women eating traditional diets. Common menopausal symptoms reported include hot flashes, irregular uterine bleeding, weight gain, night sweats, vaginal dryness and thinning, decreased libido, depression, fatigue, nausea, headaches, mood swings, sleep disturbance, changes in cognitive function, bone loss, skin changes, losing hair on the head, hair growth on the body, acne, heart palpitations, urinary tract infections, joint pains, and an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Causes
Menopause is a natural event in a woman’s life. Every women eventually achieves menopause, but there is some speculation about how menopause begins. Does the brain stop signaling the hormones to stimulate the follicle, or does the follicle stop listening to the brain’s signals? Dr. John Lee, author of What Your Doctor Might Not Tell You About Premenopause, believes that it is both, and that they are influenced by genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as activity levels, childbearing, exposure to xenohormones, poor diet, low-calorie diets, and severe emotional stress. Other causes of menopause are premature menopause, oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), and hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). Premature menopause, between the ages of 15 and 40, will happen to one out of 100 women. Only one-third of those cases will have a traceable cause such as immune dysfunction, infection, metabolic or systemic disease, smoking, reduced blood supply to the ovaries, chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. The removal of the ovaries and uterus may be done at the same time or separately and is referred to as surgical menopause. An oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) brings on menopause immediately and the symptoms can be overwhelming due to the sudden decline in hormone production. A hysterectomy in which at least one ovary remains induces a more natural, albeit earlier, menopause.

Prescription for Health
The recommendations below are to help women go through menopause symptom-free, with plenty of energy and a healthy libido, and without the worry of an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not advised due to the potential cancer-causing risks involved. Scientists are still debating the increased risks of cancer due to HRT. Until we have a clear-cut answer, there are natural alternatives. European studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer in over 30 percent of women using HRT. As well, the Nurses’ Health Study involving 23,000 women found that those taking HRT had double the asthma as women not on HRT. If you do decide to take HRT, make sure you use natural estrogens (Tri-Est containing estriol, estrone, and estradiol) under the guidance of your naturopathic physician. Many laboratories offer complete hormone panels to help determine natural hormone replacement requirements.

Many of the below recommendations are available in EstroSense and MenoSense Supplements.
Reminder: If you are going to take soy make sure it is ORGANIC because non organic soy can cause more harm then good.

Health Tips to Enhance Healing

• Follow a predominantly vegetarian diet and increase your intake of soy and fiber. Fiber carries excess estrogens out of the body. Phytoestrogens, like those found in certain vegetables, legumes, and soy, take up sites in the body that estrogen would like to occupy but because they are already filled, the estrogen is excreted. Several studies have shown that postmenopausal women who eat 200–300 mg of isoflavones from soy foods have a significant reduction in breast cancer, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Soy foods are also important for the reduction in cholesterol and heart disease (see “Cardiovascular Corruption,” page 17).
• Read about the blood test for breast cancer on page 179.
• See estrogen dominance on page 226.
• Have your thyroid checked for hypothyrodism. (See thyroid selftest, page 22.)
• Avoid constipation (see Constipation).
• Have a dual energy X ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to determine bone density.
• Have sex twice a week to maintain optimal immune function and prevent vaginal atrophy.

Other Recommendations

• Reduce stress, get plenty of sleep, and practice relaxation techniques such as visualization, biofeedback, qigong, yoga, and deep-breathing exercises. Go for regular massages.
• Look at menopause as the dawn of a new era that allows you to take time for yourself and do the things you’ve dreamed about. With fewer obligations to family and career, new opportunities for
• growth, education, and travel are yours.
• Stop smoking.
• Acupuncture, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and glandular treatment may all be beneficial for your symptoms. Consult a qualified practitioner.

Drug manufacturers of Premarin and Prempro have been told to put a strong warning on the label about the increased risk of cancer and heart disease. In July 2002 the Women’s Health Initiative study, a clinical trial designed to determine if Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), a combination of synthetic estrogen and progestins, was beneficial to healthy women, was halted due to serious safety concerns. This study involving 16,608 healthy, postmenopausal women concluded that the combination of estrogen and progestins caused a 41 percent increase in the risk of stroke, a 29 percent increase in the risk of heart attack, a doubled risk of blood clots, a 22 percent increase in cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent increase in the risk of invasive breast cancer. Now, caring physicians and hundreds of thousands of Canadian women are looking for alternatives to HRT.

What Do European Doctors Know that North American Docs Don’t?
European doctors have been recommending herbal solutions to menopausal symptoms for decades and the research is very clear they are safer and just as effective in 80 percent of users. MenoSense contains herbs that can halt hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings, lower cholesterol, improve vaginal dryness and much more.

Black cohosh (1mg of triterpene glycosides measured as 27-deoxyacteine) is the most researched herb for the treatment of menopause symptoms and replacement for standard hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progestins). Effective in the treatment of the following perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms: hot flashes, profuse perspiration, headaches, heart palpitations, depression, PMS, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), sleep disturbances, vaginal atrophy (thinning of the vagina causing painful intercourse), vaginal dryness, nervousness, irritability and loss of concentration. It was also researched in women with estrogen dominant breast cancer and found to be safe. Black cohosh works.

Chasteberry, commonly called Vitex, is effective at balancing hormones and has been traditionally used for the treatment of menstrual abnormalities, PMS, and menopausal complaints. It is especially important for women who are estrogen dominant with conditions including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, fibrocystic breasts and to improve the progesterone to estrogen ratio.

Dong Quai is an effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause, especially to reduce hot flashes, as well as painful menstruation, lack of menstruation (spotting but no full blood flow), and will relieve too frequent menstruation (more than one menstrual cycle per month). In menstruating women it is also recommended for treating infertility.

Gamma-oryzanol, isolated from rice bran oil, is used for the reduction of hot flashes and to improve mood. Not only is it a very effective substance for alleviating menopausal symptoms, but it also lowers triglycerides and total cholesterol thereby protecting our heart.

Hesperidin, a potent flavonoid, has been shown to aid the vascular system and capillaries thereby improving cardiovascular health, reducing night sweats, hot flashes and those annoying night time leg cramps. It has also been shown to reduce bruising.

Weaning off HRT slowly over an 8 week period while taking MenoSense will ensure your symptoms don’t return and aid an easy transition.

Read No More HRT: Menopause Treat the Cause by Dr. Karen Jensen, ND and Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, M.S. for the complete information on how to get off HRT.

Black Cohosh Proven Safe

I receive dozens of questions per day about Black cohosh’s safety and effectiveness for menopausal symptoms. Some new articles have been published that I feel you should read if you are taking or will be taking Black cohosh. Also on the home page of my website is a list of research papers that prove even further the safety of Black cohosh. Several studies have been performed in women with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer taking Tamoxifen (an estrogen-blocking drug) who were given double the dose of Black cohosh for one year with excellent results and safety.

Black Cohosh, a menopausal remedy, does NOT have estrogenic activity and does NOT promote breast cancer cell growth. Click here to read the abstract.

Lately there have been outstanding reviews of Black cohosh’s safety and effectiveness. Pharmacists and medical doctors continue to provide out-dated information regarding this herb. I continue to get questions regarding liver toxicity with Black cohosh. This review of the safety and toxicity data makes the correct statement. “A few cases of hepatotoxicity have been reported, but a direct association with the ingestion of cimicifuga has not been demonstrated. The most recent data suggest that cimicifuga is not estrogenic.” This is the latest evidence on this very safe herb. Click here to read the review abstract.

Maturitas is one of the most respected medical journals and this summer they published an excellent article about what doctors should be prescribing for menopausal symptoms. Click here to read more.

MenoSense™
Contains herbs that can halt hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings, lower cholesterol, improve vaginal dryness and much more.

• hot flashes
• sleep disturbances
• irritability, nervousness and loss of concentration
• night sweats
• vaginal atrophy or dryness
• leg cramps
• menstrual abnormalities

Daily Dosage: Two capsules at breakfast and two capsules at bedtime.

FORMULA:

Each Capsule Contains:

Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) Extract 4:1 ……… 100 mg
Dong Quai is an effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause, especially hot flashes, as well as painful menstruation, lack of menstruation (spotting but no full blood flow), and will relieve too frequent menstruation (more than one menstrual cycle per month). In menstruating women it is also recommended for treating infertility.

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) Extract 10:1 ….. 80 mg
(0.6% Acubine) Vitex, is effective in the balancing of hormones and has been traditionally used for the treatment of menstrual abnormalities, PMS, and menopausal complaints. It is especially important for women who are estrogen dominant with conditions including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, fibrocystic breasts and to improve the progesterone to estrogen ratio.

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) Extract 1:1 .. 80 mg
(2mg of triterpene glycosides measured as 27-deoxyacteine) Black cohosh is the most researched herb for the treatment of the symptoms of menopause and replacement for standard hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progestins). Effective in the treatment of the following perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms: hot flashes, profuse perspiration, headaches, heart palpitations, depression, PMS, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), sleep disturbances, vaginal atrophy (thinning of the vagina causing painful intercourse), vaginal dryness, nervousness, irritability and loss of concentration.

Gamma-oryzanol (ferulic acid) ………………………… 75 mg
Gamma-oryzanol isolated from rice bran oil is used for the treatment of hot flashes and to enhance pituitary function and promote endorphin release by the hypothalamus thereby improving mood. Not only is it a very effective substance for alleviating menopausal symptoms but it also lowers triglycerides and total cholesterol.

Hesperidin ……………………………………………………. 75 mg
Hesperidin, a potent flavonoid, improves the vascular system and our capillaries thereby improving cardiovascular health and reduction of bruising. It has also been shown to reduce hot flashes and night time leg cramps.

Vegan Friendly

HOW TO GET OFF HRT

WOMEN ON ORAL HRT

WOMEN ON TRANSDERMAL HRT

REMEMBER TO:

• Walk briskly 30 minutes per day to reduce hot flashes
• Eat 2 servings of brocolli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower cabbage or kale everyday
• Take your FemmEssentials containing vitamin E, known to reduce hot flashes
• Eliminate constipation
• Have a massage once a month