Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy For Menopause
Thursday, March 4th, 2010Did Hippocrates discover a natural hormone replacement therapy for menopause?
Over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote: ‘Let food be your medicine’. Today, many physicians, naturopaths and nutritionists are starting to understand that food can play a key role in preventing and managing many of the health problems associated with menopause.
A growing body of evidence is emerging to suggest that a group of chemicals and natural hormones called phytoestrogens, found in foods like soya beans and linseed, can be used as natural hormone replacement therapy for menopause, and can help to alleviate many of the menopause symptoms as well as help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, which are dramatically increased at this time.
Phytoestrogens are also known as plant estrogens, as they are found in several plants and plant foods, but not in any significant amounts in animal products such as meat or dairy foods. They have a similar structure to the hormone estrogen and can bind to estrogen receptor sites throughout the body, mimicking the effects of estrogen.
There are three main groups of phytoestrogens: isoflavones, coumestans and lignans. The principal phytoestrogens found in the human diet are the isoflavones and lignans.
The Benefits Of Phytoestrogens As Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy
Estrogen helps to regulate the body’s temperature and when levels drop, the body has difficulty regulating its heating and cooling mechanisms. While 70-80 percent of women in the Western world experience hot flashes during menopause, only 18 percent of women in China, 14 percent of women in Singapore and less than 5 percent of women in Japan experience them.
Many experts believe the fact that the typical Western diet provides around 1 mg of isoflavones a day, whereas the traditional Asian diet contains between 50 and 100 mg a day, may well be the reason why these rates differ so dramatically.
Although many studies have shown that incorporating between 40 and 50 mg of isoflavones into the diet can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes through their natural hormone replacement therapy action, several of these studies have been criticized because there is a strong placebo effect. Phytoestrogen-rich diets typically result in a 40-50 percent reduction in hot flashes, compared with a 25-35 percent reduction if nothing is taken, and an 80-90 percent reduction with natural hormone replacement therapy ( or HT - hormone therapy).
While the jury is still out on the subject of whether a phytoestrogen-rich diet can ease hot flashes, many women find it helps.
Easing Vaginal Dryness
The cells that cause the vagina to become moist and lubricated in response to sexual stimuli are stimulated by estrogen, and when levels start to decline the number of these cells also starts to drop. Some studies have suggested that eating a diet rich in isoflavones can prevent the loss of these cells.
Reducing The Incidence Of Osteoporosis With Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy
The decline in estrogen levels during menopause increases the rate of calcium loss from bone and as a result makes post-menopausal women more vulnerable to osteoporosis.
Women whose diets are rich in phytoestrogens have a lower incidence of osteoporosis.
Moister, Thicker Skin
Estrogen helps to keep the skin moist and helps to maintain its natural thickness. When levels drop the skin becomes thinner, rougher and less elastic. Some studies suggest that a diet rich in phytoestrogens can help to prevent these effects.
Increasing ‘Good’ Cholesterol
The risk of heart disease rises dramatically during menopause. Estrogen helps to encourage the production of high density lipoproteins (HDL), which help to protect against heart disease. As estrogen levels start to fall, this protective effect is lost.
Studies have shown that postmenopausal women who supplemented their diets with soya protein experienced a 14 percent improvement in HDL cholesterol in just four weeks.
The evidence suggesting that soya protein can help to prevent heart disease is so convincing that the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and the Joint Health Claims Initiative in the UK have authorized food manufacturers to include the following on their packaging: ‘Including at least 25 g per day of soya protein as part of a diet low in saturated fat can help to reduce blood cholesterol’. This claim can be used on all foods that provide a minimum of 6.25 g of soya protein and retain its naturally occurring phytoestrogens.
Including Phytoestrogens In Your Diet
Most of the clinical studies that have shown a benefit from a phytoestrogen-rich diet have used a diet that contains between 20 and 50 mg of isoflavones a day. An intake of 45 mg a day seems to be a level to aim for; this works out to 2 to 3 servings of isoflavone-rich foods a day.
Don’t be tempted, however, by the idea that ‘if a little is good a large amount must be even better’. Studies have shown that as you increase your intake of phytoestrogens, the proportion that your body absorbs decreases. This built-in safety mechanism means there is very little danger in overdosing from food.
The same is not true with natural hormone replacement therapy supplements, however, and some adverse side effects have been noted in people taking high doses of isoflavone supplements.
There may also be photoestrogens in your diet that can’t be considered as natural hormone replacement therapy, even though they’re natural, are not necessarily good for you. Chief among these is coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, which can interfere with progesterone, resulting in migraines.
