Have you been wondering if hormone therapy is for you? Hot flashes, sleep disorders, wild woman mood swings and depression will send you running to your physician, who will likely take the traditional Western medical approach and write a quick prescription.
Are Drugs the Only Option?
That prescription is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): one or more female hormones - estrogen progesterone and testosterone. Like so many drugs, HRT comes with a laundry list of side effects including
Bloating, Nausea, Breast Soreness,
Mood Swings and Headaches.
Can it even get worse? Yes major studies show that HRT can lead to the development of
Blood Clots, Gallbladder Disease, Heart Disease, Stroke and Cancer.
With such health threats, it’s no wonder many women just say no to the drugs but that doesn’t stop the pharmaceutical companies from continuing to push them. If you’ve talked to your doctor and decided that traditional HRT isn’t worth the risks, there are other options.
The Ten Percentile
- Photo credit: TheDeliciousLife
Did you know that only 10% of Asian women suffer menopausal symptoms, while 75% of American woman struggle with them daily? (Traditional Chinese Medicine and menopause).
The consumption of high levels of soy is often credited for this huge discrepancy as are the natural herbs Asian women are given in lieu of HRT to treat their symptoms.
Eating a diet high phytoestrogens, a chemical found in some plants including soy, is thought to have many health benefits due to phytoestrogens’ ability to block or bind high levels of estrogen. However, there are numerous conflicting studies on soy consumption and despite about 4 billion Asians, the jury is still out on whether you should increase your soy intake.
Herbs Instead
Herbs may be the wisest choice of all for relieving menopausal symptoms. The most commonly recommended herbs come in Woman's Support from Vitabase
- Black Cohosh – Decreases hot flashes.
- Chasteberry - Balances estrogen and progesterone levels and improves mood.
- Dong Quai – Balances estrogen and progesterone levels and improves mood.
- Licorice - Balances estrogen and progesterone levels and improves mood.
- Mexican Yam - Contain disosgenin, used creates synthetic progesterone – natural HTR.
- Red Clover – Decreases hot flashes.
- Sage – Eases night sweats.
Check with your doctor before taking any herb or supplement.
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