The following is the menopause section from Lorna Vanderhaeghe's book Healthy Immunity, Scientifically Proven Natural Treatments for Conditions from A-Z.
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.
NUTRIENT DOSAGE ACTION |
| Vitamin B6 with a B-complex |
50 mg of vitamin B6 daily Two capsules of B-complex daily |
Supports nervous system, is required for metabolism and immune function, reduces PMS symptoms |
| Vitamin E |
400 IU daily |
Reduces hot flashes and improves mood. Use vaginal lubricants containing vitamin E. |
| Calcium with magnesium |
1000 mg of each daily |
Reduces leg cramps, prevents osteoporosis |
| Estrosense |
Two to four capsules daily |
Eliminates excess cancer causing estrogens |
| Ginkgo biloba standardized to 24 percent |
Two capsules daily |
Supports cognitive function, improves circulation to hands and feet |
| Chaste tree (Vitex) |
175 mg (or 30–60 drops) daily or 30–40 mg per capsule |
Supports proper hormone secretion, reduces PMS symptoms, controls hot flashes |
| Evening primrose oil |
500 mg three times daily |
Relieves breast pain, and may alleviate hot flashes |
| Natural progesterone (I use Life-Flo because it has a metered pump and no messy measuring) |
Use as directed. Dosage depends on if you are peri- or postmenopausal |
Relieves breast tenderness, hot flashes, irregular breakthrough bleeding, protects against osteoporosis, controls PMS |
| Dong quai |
1 tsp (5 mL) of tincture 1 g of powdered root |
Balances estrogen activity; relieves hot flashes and vaginal dryness |
| Black cohosh, Remifemin |
2 mg of 27-deoxyacteine twice daily as found in Remifemin |
Reduces depression, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes |
| Moducare sterols and sterolins |
One capsule three times daily |
Normalizes cortisol, modulates immune function, stops calcium loss due to inflammatory immune factors, enhances DHEA naturally |
| Gamma oryzamol |
100 mg three times daily |
Relieves hot flashes |
| St. John’s wort |
100 mg twice daily |
Alleviates depression. Do not take with antidepressant medications without first consulting your doctor. |
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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.
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