Menopause: Survive the menopause with safe, natural and effective alternatives to HRT

If, like millions of other women in the UK, you are going through the change of life or menopause, you will probably be only too aware of its distressing symptoms of hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, insomnia and even depression.

But youll be relieved to know that all of these symptoms are avoidable and that effective natural treatments offer a safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

The menopause starts when your store of eggs, present in your ovaries since birth, is nearly used up and the levels of your sex hormones start to decline. For most women, this happens around 50 years of age.

HRT increases your risk of cancer, heart disease and senile dementia

Back in the heady days of the 1980s, the medical establishment thought they had the menopause all sorted out with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) the so-called miracle cure for hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and much more. HRT attempts to restore hormone levels artificially, using various synthetic or animal-derived forms of oestrogen and progesterone (the main female sex hormones). Heart disease, joint pain, brittle bones, forgetfulness, depression and even the tide of ageing itself could be held back according to some of the claims, simply by taking this one little pill.

But HRT always had its sceptics and in 2002 it fell from grace with a crash, when part of a large US trial was dramatically halted. Far from being a universal cure-all, combined HRT (a mixture of oestrogen and progestogen a form of progesterone) had been found to increase the incidence of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke and heart disease (JAMA 2002; 288:321-33).

Further analysis of the same trial results showed that, for women over 65 taking HRT, the risk of senile dementia doubled (JAMA 2003; 289: 2652-2662). Since then, other studies have confirmed that combined HRT doubles the risk of developing breast cancer (Lancet 2003; 362: 419-427) and have also linked it to endometrial or womb cancer (Lancet 2005; 365: 1543-51).

Soya isoflavones reduce hot flushes and improve sleep quality

While the drawbacks of HRT have become increasingly clear, natural alternatives have proved their worth again and again. Much of the recent research has focused on the benefits of soya products, which contain hormone-like compounds called isoflavones.

In a study conducted last year by Dr Louise Dye at the University of Leeds, menopausal women took a daily supplement containing 68mg of isoflavones, for eight weeks. At the end of the trial, their circulating oestrogen levels were significantly higher and they experienced an immediate reduction in hot flushes. The women also slept better and their planning ability and memory improved. 

These findings support the results of a recent double-blind crossover study at the University of Milan in Italy, in which post-menopausal women who took 60mg of soya isoflavones a day for six months experienced dramatic improvements in mood and mental sharpness (Fertility and Sterility 2006; 85(40): 972-978).

Other research has found that soya isoflavones improve immune function in menopausal women and protect against DNA damage the prime cause of ageing (Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 83(5): 1118-1125). In addition, they cut levels of blood fats and bad LDL cholesterol and so may reduce heart disease risks (Am J Cardiol 2006; 98(5): 633-640). Take a supplement containing 60mg to 90mg a day of soya isoflavones.

soyas benefits for menopausal women dont end there

Soya products also contain other compounds, in addition to isoflavones, that can be of benefit to menopausal women. Scientists in Japan have discovered that Natto, a traditional fermented soya food, can reduce bone loss in post-menopausal women by as much as 80 per cent (J Nutr 2006; 136: 1323-1328). This is an important finding as a well-known effect of plummeting oestrogen levels during the menopause is an increased risk of osteoporosis or brittle bone disease.
The researchers believe that natto is particularly effective because of its high level of menaquinone-7, a form of vitamin K. Natto is available in the UK as a supplement called Nattotabs, which is marketed primarily for improving blood circulation and preventing deep vein thrombosis. Take 4 to 8 tablets daily.

If hot flushes and night sweats are making the menopause a misery for you, help is at hand from the North American herb black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). Several double-blind trials have proved the effectiveness of this beneficial herb, including one carried out last year at the University of Gottingen in Germany, in which 95 women were given black cohosh extract, conventional HRT or a placebo, for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, black cohosh was found to be equally as effective as HRT in reducing sweating episodes and improving sleep quality (Maturitas 2006; 55 (Suppl 1): S83-91).

Further work by the same researchers has shown that black cohosh also has significant bone-strengthening benefits and could be important in preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women (Menopause 2006; 13(2): 185-196).

The recommended dosage for black cohosh is 100mg to 500mg of standardised root extract, two or three times a day.