Research: Menopause
What Happens During Menopause?
Managing Menopause?
The Role of Estrogen and Phytoestrogens
Flaxseed & Soy: Effects on Menopause
What Happens During Menopause
During menopause, a woman's body undergoes tremendous change as fluctuating hormone levels impact all areas of her health and well being. During this mid-life change, many menopausal women strive to achieve hormonal balance with the proper combination of diet, exercise, and nutrition.
Proactively managing menopausal symptoms allows women to take charge of their bodies while improving their long-term health and quality of life. When armed with information, women can make informed decisions about their health.
Menopause is a natural occurrence in a woman's life. Signifying the end of her reproductive years, menopause itself occurs when a woman has not had her menstrual period for 12 months. The average age for the onset of menopause is 52; however, it may occur as early as age 35 and as late as age 60. Perimenopause is the span of time prior to menopause when the ovaries' production of estrogen begins to slow down.
The decreasing and fluctuating level of estrogen causes the following symptoms associated with perimenopause and postmenopause:
- irregular periods
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- insomnia
- mood swings
- fluid retention
- vaginal dryness
- dry skin and hair
- depression
- fatigue
These symptoms can have a physical and emotional toll and often result in a different menopausal experience for every woman. During postmenopause, the depleted level of estrogen can increase other health-related risks such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Managing Menopause
With proper treatment, traditional or alternative, many menopause-related symptoms decrease or disappear. While some women choose to live with their symptoms, there are many therapies for the conditions associated with menopause. Women should know their choices, consider their personal profile and history, and determine their options with their doctor.
Nutrition and Lifestyle - A combination of a balanced diet and nutrition, exercise, stress management, and smoking cessation are all vital factors for women experiencing menopause. Many women find that lifestyle and nonprescription remedies alleviate symptoms and allow them to manage the changes occurring in their bodies. Research shows that a balanced diet including soy and flaxseed alleviates menopausal symptoms and has other health-related benefits.
Herbal Supplements - Available in teas, capsules, and extracts, herbal supplements are made from plants. They often have bioactive and therapeutic benefits when used consistently over time, and may be considered an alternative or addition to pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceuticals - Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is available by prescription and works for many women. Some research suggests that HRT may increase the risk of heart disease and the likelihood of certain types of breast cancers in women with high-risk profiles. Before taking HRT, women should consider their individual and family medical histories and consult their doctor.
Many women are concerned about taking HRT due to the possible increased risk of breast cancer. A study, appearing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in February 2000, found that "for every five years a woman takes estrogen alone, the risk of breast cancer increases about six percent. But for every five years a woman takes both estrogen and progestin - known as combined therapy - the risk of breast cancer rises 24 percent." It is this possible increased risk of developing breast cancer that women consistently cite as the main reason that they are reluctant to use HRT.
In a recent article titled "Postmenopausal Estrogen - "Opposed, Unopposed, or None of the Above" in the Journal of American Medical Association states:
"For women with an intact uterus, the risks and benefits of prolonged use of postmenopausal hormones should be reexamined in light of a likely substantial increase in risk of breast cancer with combined therapy [estrogen and progestin]. The first issue whether a hormone use is needed at all; reducing the risks of fractures and coronary heart disease rarely will provide sufficient justification because avoidance of smoking, regular exercise, and consuming a good diet are effective preventive measures."
The Role of Estrogen and Phytoestrogens
Estrogen serves a critical role in women's health. Medical studies indicate that estrogen can positively impact bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and emotional states. Since women's bodies produce less estrogen as they age, supplemental estrogen may be necessary. Women experiencing peri- and postmenopause have found that supplemental estrogen provides the hormones they need to produce and maintain physical and emotional well being.
While some women choose to supplement their declining estrogen levels with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), others have discovered the benefits of phytoestrogens, natural plant estrogens. Weaker than human estrogens, phytoestrogens balance a woman's hormone level. Like human estrogens, phytoestrogens attach themselves to the body's estrogen receptors. If a woman's estrogen level is low, phytoestrogens increase the body's estrogen level; if it is high, phytoestrogens replace the stronger human estrogen, which may have harmful effects.
Phytoestrogens have similar effects to those of human estrogens in helping to reduce menopausal symptoms, the risk of heart disease, and osteoporosis. In addition, when phytoestrogens attach themselves to the estrogen receptors in the breast they form a protective barrier against the stronger human estrogens that may cause breast cancer.
A healthy and natural way to control fluctuating levels of estrogen is a diet rich in phytoestrogens. The most concentrated amounts of phytoestrogens are found in soy and flaxseed. The two phytoestrogens, isoflavones in soy and lignans in flaxseed, provide both an estrogenic benefit and may decrease the risk of breast cancer.
Medical studies have touted the many benefits of flaxseed and soy. In Asian cultures, the plant-based diet is rich in phytoestrogens, high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and low in saturated fats. Research suggests that the plant based-diet is a contributing factor to the low rate of menopausal symptoms, breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis among Asian women.
To alleviate their menopausal symptoms, many women have incorporated soy and flaxseed into their diets. Because of the phytoestrogens, protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acid content, soy and flaxseed are considered a dietary alternative to estrogen drugs. Flaxseed & Soy: Effects on Menopause
Flaxseed and soy contain natural plant estrogens called phytoestrogens. In fact, no other foods have a higher phytoestrogen content than flaxseed and soy. Although phytoestrogens are weaker than human estrogens they behave similarly in the human body. In the body, phytoestrogens balance a woman's estrogen level by attaching themselves to the body's estrogen receptor sites. When attached, phytoestrogens can decrease estrogen levels in perimenopausal women and increase estrogen levels in postmenopausal women. In addition to relieving menopausal symptoms, research shows that soy and flaxseed help promote heart health.
To reduce the symptoms of menopause, many doctors and researchers including Christiane Northrup, M.D., Susan Love, M.D., Susan Lark, M.D., Robert Arnot, M.D., and Susan Weed advocate eating foods that are high in phytoestrogens. The phytoestrogens found in flaxseed and soy are believed to relieve many menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and other discomforts.
Recent studies on the effects of phytoestrogens on menopause show:
- In postmenopausal women who took 60 grams of isolated soy protein powder daily, there was a 26% reduction in the mean number of hot flashes by week three, a 33% reduction by week four, and a 45% reduction by week 12.
- Approximately six tablespoons of soy flour daily for a six-week period showed an improvement in treating the symptom of vaginal dryness.
- In Japan - where soy products, especially tofu, are a staple in a low-fat diet - only 10 to 15 percent of women experience menopausal symptoms versus approximately 80 percent of women in the United States.
- In controlled trials, women who were given beverages containing powered soy extract had significantly greater reductions in hot flashes.
No other foods have a higher phytoestrogen content than soy and flaxseed. Phytoestrogens balance estrogen levels by decreasing estrogen levels in perimenopausal women and increasing estrogen levels in postmenopausal women.
According to the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, "today's studies focus on foods containing phyotestrogens. The notion is that phytoestrogens may relieve symptoms of perimenopause and reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis with fewer adverse effects than hormone replacement therapy. In other words, we may be able to eat our way through menopause rather than medicating ourselves against it."
Research shows there are fewer complaints about menopausal symptoms in countries such as Japan and China where the diet is low in saturated fat and rich in soy products. Epidemiological studies surmise that Asian women's lack of menopausal symptoms is not due to genetics but, rather, to diet: studies show that Japanese women who move to the United States and assimilate to American culture and diet experience greater frequency of menopausal symptoms. |
