Menopause is Not a Disease...or Is It? Menopause, as we've recently found out, is not something to be pooh, poohed and swept under the carpet. There are many serious ramifications that must be considered by all women approaching 50 (or younger if there is a family history of problems) considering the volatile findings coming out almost weekly. I recently participated in a medical questionnaire that was sent to everyone on a medical newsletter mailing list, and helpful person that I am, I proceeded to answer the questions. I was amazed to find a section asking "Which of these conditions do you have?" and the list went through, Diabetes, lung disease, kidney failure, Cancer...and then there was Menopause! Out of the list of about 40 medical conditions, the only one I could own up to was Menopause. It should not have been considered a "disease" to my way of thinking, and I felt that the questionnaire was skewed at that point. I feel very healthy and pride myself on my "ease" as opposed to disease. I almost left it blank, but put it in at the last minute before submitting it. I've been dealing with Menopause symptoms (I'm definitely in the age group) for several years now, and was dismayed to find out that the hot flashes, mood swings and other "feelings" might continue until the age of 55 or even into the 70s and 80s. And I also found out that I may look old before my time if I don't do anything about it! NOW! Ever since my first hot flash, I've been researching natural remedies to this sometimes-debilitating time of life. Anise, black cohosh, fennel, licorice, raspberry leaf, sage, sarsaparilla, squaw vine, unicorn root, wild yam, gotu kola, and Siberian Ginseng (the Korean ginseng has different effects) are all important for women at that certain age. Oatmeal and rice bran are effective in treating depression and other symptoms. I'm happy to report, no hot flashes, an even temperament, and great skin and muscle tone. But it doesn't come easy. Exercise, proper nutrition and supplementation are the keys. None of the extra vitamins and herbal remedies I take (Wild Yam capsules, plant based progesterone, lots of B Complex, Vitamin C and E, Ginseng, Dong Quai, Angelica, St. John's Wort, L-Arginine, calcium and magnesium, etc.) are covered by my health plan (Canadian.) I pay my monthly fee for medical coverage and spend almost the same amount again on alternative medicine. But then, I do feel very well as compared to many people who take Progestin, Premarin, Provera, Norlutin, and Lord knows what all else (those chemicals that women take to prevent osteoporosis and other health issues.) I don't think doctors give women enough choice in remedies and don't emphasize side effects enough when women come to them for relief. In Europe, women have had a far better preparation of horomones with very few side effects that have included estradiol and progesterone. Here in North America, manufacturers are only now realizing that both male and female hormones course through our veins. There are some new mainstream products just coming out that are made from natural substances, I must admit. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that sometime this year, a product called Prometrium will be available to be taken by mouth. However, sometime in the foreseeable future, Crinone, another progesterone preparation will be on the market in the form of a gel. It will afford better absorption because it will be applied in the area where it is needed - the uterus- rather than everywhere in the body via a capsule or tablet. The downside is that it will be quite costly. Monistat has come out with "Healthy Woman Soy Menopause," and there is Cenestin, a new prescription drug made from soy and wild yam. Watch for these products at your doctor's office. It might be wise, though, to research some herbal products in the meantime. By now we've all heard that soy products should protect us from some of the symptoms we've come to associate with menopause. Asian women rarely have hot flashes - until they come to North America and then they suffer from the same effects. Apparently, in Japan and China, they eat 200 grams of soy every day, where we ingest only 5 grams. However, nobody ever mentions that our soy here is one of the most genetically engineered crops in the world and that soy is used in every conceivable junk and fast food manufactured today. It's an inexpensive oil to produce and soybeans grow in almost any climate. Mark Messina, Ph.D., an adjunct associate Professor of Nutrition at Loma Linda University in California says that since it takes up to several months for soy products to give the desired effect on hot flashes, most women are not willing to wait that long for their hot flashes to go away. (That's one of the troubles with using herbal remedies in our fast paced world.) There must be some study that would compare the Asian soy and the North American soy content for phytoestrogens. I've lately heard that the high estrogen content of soy here is what is causing young girls to reach puberty at the age of 8 or 9. The earlier girls reach puberty, and the earlier they reach menopause, the higher the incidence of breast cancer, according to extensive studies. Some of the substances that alleviate simple problems are easily found at health food stores. For example, for vaginal dryness, slippery elm, in the form of tea or lozenges helps the mucous membranes function properly. For insomnia, Valerian, Passiflora, Melatonin, St. John's Wort, and many other herbs are very effective. Tofu and other soy products taken in fairly large quantities (I've become adept at adding soy protein powder to casseroles, sauces and even use it in breading for chicken) lower the risk of heart disease. Messina says there is no downside to soy...except taking too little! But, he still believes this could still be part of the placebo effect. When it comes to "very alternative" remedies, it's worth checking into Kombucha Tea which detoxifies, energizes and boosts the immune system. It can be purchased at health food stores or can be made at home in fairly large quantities. I associate making Kombucha tea with making wine. I will start a batch and keep close watch on it for the week of "fermentation." The minute it's ready, drinking a glass of the "tea" is like sipping the finest champagne...it is often bubbly and tangy, but only for one day. Then it begins to taste like an expensive vinegar, which I'm sure is what makes it so healthy. I use Kombucha Tea in place of vinegar in salad dressing and in many recipes Some lifestyle changes to make when reaching that magic age of 45 or 50 are to stop smoking and drinking coffee, stop drinking more than two glasses of wine a day, remove sugar and spicy foods from the diet, stop eating hot soups and drinks, and learn to avoid stress. All these things contribute to hot flashes and mood swings. I've learned to make a big pot of herbal tea in the morning and then drinking it cold throughout the day....just as tasty, but no adverse effects. And I use the natural sweetener - Stevia - to sweeten without using sugar or honey. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar and spicy foods make the blood acidic which makes the bones give up calcium in order to buffer the toxins entering the body...it's ironic that we need the calcium more than ever at this time and it's being depleted by our lifestyle. The diet should consist of 50% raw food plus protein (very little of the meat type). The protein is necessary to stabilize blood sugar. Add broccoli, dandelion greens, kelp, salmon with bones for essential fatty acids and calcium, and some whitefish. Dairy products should be eliminated or limited to small amounts of low-fat yogurt and buttermilk. Water is crucial at this time. If you can't drink two liters of water a day, make sure you drink lots of herbal tea, diluted fruit juices (mix orange or other 100% juice with mineral water.) Juices are high in calories and it is always better to eat the whole fruit than just drinking the juice. Coffee and alcohol, unfortunately deplete the body of moisture, so limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day. Soy milk is o.k. to a point, especially for the phytoestrogen, but pure water itself is still the best. Menopause is a natural occurrence, and now that our lives as women are reasonably extended from 40 (just a couple of hundred years ago) to 81, we have a whole "extra era" to enjoy. So let's make the best of this new lease on life and not allow ourselves to be bowed down by the burdens of a simple change of pace. Let's learn to become renewed, energetic and very productive members of society. Back to the Writing Index