Support through menopause (Part 1)

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This article is reprinted with permission from herbalist expert Steven Horne.

Each year, about 1.3 million women enter menopause, the season of life when their monthly periods cease. This normal transition, which happens to every menstruating woman, typically occurs between the late forties and early fifties. Once a woman has not had a period for a year, she is considered postmenopausal. During the time prior to menopause, known as perimenopause, changes to periods and general health can occur due to declining levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.

During perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, women may experience various symptoms. Three-quarters of all women experience hot flashes at some point. Other common menopausal symptoms include weight gain, thinning hair, irregular periods, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and night sweats. Women may also experience emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or irritability. After menopause, many women will also start to experience bone loss (osteoporosis).

Over 60% of women with menopause symptoms report that they are severe enough to interfere with their quality of life. As a result of these changes, many women will resort to hormone replacement therapy, taking synthetic hormones to try to control these symptoms. Since menopause is a natural transition, there may be some issues with artificially boosting hormones, when they’re naturally meant to decline, and there are potential side-effects and risks to this approach.

Fortunately, there are natural ways women can make this major life transition easier. Changes in diet, herbs, and supplements can all help reduce symptoms and maintain health through perimenopause and into postmenopause. This article will cover some of these natural supports for this change of life.

Blame it on Hormones

When it comes to menopause, you can blame it on hormones because hormonal changes create the physiological and psychological shifts that occur during menopause. Specifically, it is the decline in the production of estrogen and progesterone. To understand how you can support a healthy transition, you need to understand more about these two major hormones.

Understanding Estrogen and Progesterone

Estrogen is the hormone that creates feminine characteristics, just like testosterone creates male characteristics. However, estrogen is not a single compound and it exists in several forms. The one responsible for fertility during child-bearing years is estradiol (E2). Production of E2 begins at puberty and drops off dramatically after menopause.

E2 is primarily produced in a maturing follicle under the influence of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Although small amounts of E2 are produced by the adrenal glands, fat cells, breast tissue, and liver, E2 production drops off sharply at menopause.

E2 plays an important role in many body processes besides reproductive functions. It aids bone development and affects collagen production. This is why the loss of E2 will cause skin problems like wrinkles and dryness. E2 also influences cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, circulation, and brain function.

However, there are other forms of estrogen originally produced before puberty that continue to be produced after menopause. Having good production of these estrogens makes menopause easier.

E1 is the main form of estrogen produced after menopause. It can be formed in the adrenal glands, liver, fat cells, and ovaries. Therefore, having healthy liver and adrenal gland function will make menopause easier.

E3 is a milder estrogen that does not stimulate the breast tissue or uterine lining like E1 and E2 do. E3 protects the intestinal tract, vaginal lining, and the breasts. Asian and vegetarian women have higher levels of E3 and lower rates of breast cancer. These diets are higher in plant estrogens known as phytoestrogens.

There are also chemicals that mimic estrogen. This includes synthetic estrogens used as drugs and in animal feed to increase milk and egg production. Pesticides mimic estrogen, and estrogen mimics are also found in some plastics. These chemicals are known as xenoestrogens, and they mimic the stronger forms of estrogen E1 and E2, which increases the risk of breast cancer and other health problems after menopause. So, avoiding these xenoestrogens and increasing phytoestrogen intake will aid in creating a healthy transition.

Estrogens play a role in about 400 functions of the body. So, it’s easy to see why declining levels of estrogen during and after menopause result in a variety of changes in levels of health.

Progesterone
The drop in progesterone is much larger than the drop in estrogen during perimenopause and menopause. This is because large amounts of progesterone are produced by the follicle after the egg is released. So, once ovulation ceases, levels of progesterone are also lower.

This reduction in progesterone affects many body processes. Progesterone plays a role in skin elasticity and bone strength. It has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions and regulates blood sugar. Lower levels of progesterone due to menopause may contribute to hot flashes, mood changes (anxiety or depression), loss of libido, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, and breast pain

Supporting Hormones After Menopause

Many herbs and nutritional options can help maintain health as hormone levels adjust. Supporting the adrenals, utilizing phytoestrogens, and taking other hormone-balancing herbs can all help regulate hormonal production naturally.

Adrenal Function and Menopause

The adrenal glands are tasked with making estrogen and progesterone prior to puberty and after menopause. Therefore, supporting healthy adrenal function is the first secret to making the transition to menopause easier.

Estrogen and progesterone production starts in the adrenal glands. These hormones are made from cholesterol that has been converted into pregnenolone. Pregnenolone can be further converted to form either progesterone or DHEA. DHEA is then used to make estrogens—primarily E2 before menopause and estrone (E1) and estriol (E3) after menopause.

Here’s where the problem occurs. Stress causes the body to produce the stress hormone cortisol. A high-stress life, therefore, causes more pregnenolone to be turned into progesterone and less into DHEA, reducing the amount of estrogens produced.

The progesterone is also converted to cortisol, which lowers the levels of progesterone, too. Cortisol produces a more rapid aging process and contributes to weight gain, grey hair, and other changes associated with aging.

Modern society often causes high levels of stress which tax the adrenal glands. This increases the severity of problems that can occur during menopause. This is why supporting adrenal health is one of the first things to consider for natural hormone balance.

Adaptogens and DHEA

Adaptogens are an important category of herbs that can help reduce stress levels and support adrenal health. Taking adaptogens can help increase levels of DHEA and reduce levels of cortisol, making more estrogen and progesterone available to the body.

Because of these benefits, try taking adaptogens starting with perimenopause and continuing through with postmenopause. Some of the best adaptogens to take regularly include ashwagandha, cordyceps, American ginseng, Asian ginseng, licorice, Shatavari, maca, and Schisandra. It is also useful to consider specific menopausal symptoms when choosing which adaptogens to take.

You can also supplement directly with DHEA, which can help to up-regulate estrogen production and down-regulate the production of cortisol. A formula containing false unicorn and chaste tree, which help regulate female hormones before, during, and after menopause may also be helpful.

Utilize Phytoestrogens

There are many plants that contain phytoestrogens, which can also help ease the transition through menopause. Women who consume a lot of these plant-based estrogens tend to have fewer and less severe menopausal symptoms than women who don’t.

One of these foods is soy. Asian women who regularly consume soy products like tofu have lower rates of hot flashes than American women. There is also evidence that soy can help prevent bone loss and healthy weight after menopause. However, in order to get these benefits, soy foods need to be consumed regularly.

It should be noted that soy is not the only legume to have phytoestrogens. Many other beans contain them as well, including black beans, chickpeas, peanuts, and mung beans. Other foods that supply phytoestrogens include whole grains (wheat, rye, oats, and barley), flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and leafy green vegetables. This is why a more plant-based diet also helps with menopause. It reduces exposure to xenoestrogens and increases intake of phytoestrogens.

Hormone Balancing Herbs

Several herbs have been used to help balance hormones. Remedies that help support the estrogen side include licorice, hops, red clover, dong quai, and black cohosh. Essential oils that have an estrogen-enhancing effect include pink grapefruit, clary sage, and geranium. Herbs that support the progesterone side include wild yam, chaste tree berries, and false unicorn. Consider a formula that contains herbs that help to support both sides.

Bioidentical Hormones

If you find these herbs and nutritional remedies are insufficient to help your menopausal transition, you don’t need to resort to synthetic hormones. First, try finding a doctor who will prescribe bioidentical hormones. These natural hormones are identical to the ones produced by your body and will be less likely to produce harmful side effects.

More to come next week

 

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