Symptom Relief:  Hot Flashes & Night sweats

• Hot flashes are the most common symptom in menopause, occurring in about 70-80% of women. They can be mild or severe, and can result in sleep deprivation and subsequent anxiety or depression.

• Improve diet. Reduce or eliminate simple sugars and refined carbohydrates, caffeine.

• A glass or two of wine at night can intensify hot flashes.  Not only is it sugar, you are putting heat into the body.

• Acupuncture treatments can help balance hormones

Herbal Relief:

• Soy foods (45-160 mg of soy isoflavones)

• Black Cohosh, Chasteberry (Vitex)

• Dong Quai, Licorice root

• “Hot Flash” by Source Naturals

• Fish Oils

• Multi-Vitamin/Mineral

Key Menopausal Herbs:

• Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

• This widely-studied herb is useful for reducing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, emotional lability, menstrual cramps and PMS.

• It is an effective anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, and helps curb moodiness by impacting serotonin and dopamine.

• A standardized extract of Black Cohosh is sold under the name of Remifemin at a dose of 60 mg per tablet, two times a day.  Black Cohosh dosage should be between 250 to 500 mg daily.

Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex agnus-castus)

Chaste Berry, commonly known as Vitex, is known to act on pituitary function to shift the production of hormones towards more progesterone than estrogen. This is why it is beneficial for irregular periods and PMS symptoms.     It has also been shown to relieve depression, improve sleep and suppress appetite.  It works best in combination with Black Cohosh.

Healing Foods

• Plants and foods contain a wide range of ingredients that can help heal and help balance the endocrine system thereby regulating hormones.

• All plant foods contain what is known as “phytonutrients” (such as soy) which can play a therapeutic role in modifying physiological processes in our body.

• Phytoestrogens are the natural hormones found in plants. They are not the same as the female hormones, although they have similar benefits.

• The estrogenic activity of phytoestrogens is much lower than human estrogen.

• Phytoestrogens do not stimulate growth of estrogen-sensitive tissue as in the breast and uterus.

Soy

• Soy contains isoflavones and can be used as a safe alternative to hormone replacement.

• Wide-spread medical research has shown that soy in the diet can help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes and other perimenopausal symptoms.

• Soy benefits are dose-dependant. It’s not easy to compare soy foods because some contain more isoflavones than others.  Research suggests that most women need about 100-160 mg of soy isoflavones per day to get significant relief of symptoms.

• Recent research shows that many women cannot metabolize the enzymes in soy.  This means that nearly 2/3 of women won’t have success treating hot flashes with soy.

Essential Fatty Acids

• Two categories of EFA’s: Omega 3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) EPA, Omega 6 fatty acids (linoleic acid) GLA

• EFA’s are a prime source of relief from many symptoms and contain numerous health benefits.

• Fish oils containing EPA may lower blood pressure, relax arterial walls, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduce the risk of blood clots and may lower risk of breast cancer.

1. Without EFA’s, the body cannot manufacture ovarian and stress hormones.

Omega-3

• Omega-3 fatty acids are found in the oils of cold-water fish like salmon, anchovy tuna, mackerel

• Fish oil capsules

• Flaxseed, hemp seed, olive oil, leafy vegetables

Omega-6

• Omega- 6 fatty acids are found in certain vegetables, seeds and botanical oils: black currant, evening primrose, Borage, safflower, sunflower, corn, soy, sesame, peanut and olive oils.

Nutrition and Diet

• Diet is vitally important for managing health and hormones.

• Symptoms like depression, mood swings and weight gain may have just as much to do with diet as with perimenopause & menopause themselves.

• Some foods may promote hot flashes or aggravate mood swings and should be avoided, such as dairy products, red meats, alcohol, sugar, spicy foods and caffeine.

• Recommended is a Mediterranean style diet, a plant-based diet containing healthy fats, EFA’s, antioxidants, and low glycemic carbs.

Summary

Natural alternatives to taking hormones are a viable option for many women. A good goal is to try a holistic approach first through alternative medicine, nutritional supplements, herbs and formulas diet, and exercise.

Traditional Chinese medicine is extremely effective for treating menopause and related conditions.

n      Chinese herbs have demonstrated to have a marked effect on the endocrine system to alleviate hot flashes, vasomotor instability and loss of bone mass. Herbs are very gentle on the body and safer than current allopathic prescriptions.

Though menopausal signs and symptoms are disturbing, they are self-limiting and are not life threatening.

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