Blaine561's Social and Health Commentary

Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women may begin as early as the late twenties to the forties. Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women tend to increase as a woman ages, especially if ignored in the earlier years. Hormone imbalance symptoms can be any one or more of the following:

• Allergy symptoms

• Depression, fatigue and anxiety

• Endometriosis

• Fibrocystic breasts

• Hair loss and facial hair growth

• Headaches, dizziness and foggy thinking

• Low sex drive

• Osteoporosis

• PMS

• Urinary tract infections and incontinence

• Uterine fibroids

• Weight gain, water retention and bloating

• Wrinkly skin

Symptoms of hormone imbalance are caused primarily by the incorrect relationship between progesterone and estrogen levels in the body. The two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, exist in a delicate balance. Variations in that balance can have a dramatic effect on your health, resulting in symptoms of hormone imbalance. The amounts of these hormones that the woman’s body produces from month to month can vary, depending on factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise and most importantly – ovulation or the lack of ovulation.

In the first 10-12 days of the menstrual cycle, only estrogen is produced in the female body. If ovulation occurs, then progesterone is produced by the ovaries. On day 28 or so, levels of both hormones drop, resulting in menstruation. However, if ovulation did not occur, you can still have the menstrual period, but the estrogen is never “balanced” by progesterone, which needed ovulation to trigger its production. And this results in symptoms of hormone imbalance appearing – you have estrogen but progesterone production drops to very low levels.

In the industrialized countries, women take birth control pills, are exposed to household chemicals at home, car exhaust and other environmental xenoestrogens. In addition, women often have stressful lives, eat processed foods or skip meals, take synthetic estrogen HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and have hysterectomies. All these factors can add more estrogen to the female body, resulting in excess estrogen which will cause hormone imbalance symptoms.

How can a woman tell if she is experiencing hormone imbalance symptoms? An easy, fast and effective way is to take the online test provided by a leading womens health clinic for early signs of menopause and symptoms of hormone imbalance in women. The online test takes just a few minutes and is free. Learn more about your health, symptoms, what the symptoms are telling you and what to do about it based on your answers to important questions. Read more about hormone imbalance, estrogen dominance symptoms and physician-recommended natural treatments for eliminating the symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Women who are experiencing irregular periods, night sweats and all the other lovely symptoms that go along with menopause may feel they’re doing a crazy dance called the menopause hormone bounce. Their moods may bounce up and down like a rubber ball due to the menopause hormone changes.

While some fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone hormone levels does occur during menopause and makes a woman feel as if they’re bouncing, menopause hormone levels are truly decreasing. In the early or perimenopause stage as it’s often called, the changes may be slight, then level off. This is likely to be followed by another drop in hormone levels. It’s this dropping and leveling off, then dropping and leveling off that causes a woman to feel as if she’s undergoing menopause hormone bouncing.

When seen this way, the ups and downs of menopause hormone levels is more understandable and explains why women often feel as if they’re at the mercy of their hormones. They are. The constant decreasing and adjusting involved in menopause hormones is not something that can be controlled without the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT smoothes out the menopause hormone levels and keeps many of the more unpleasant menopause symptoms and conditions from wrecking havoc with a woman’s life.

HRT is not for everyone, though. Only women who are experiencing extreme menopause hormone problems should opt for HRT treatment. Even then, HRT isn’t recommended for long-term use. HRT is, however, necessary for women who have an induced menopause hormone condition due to surgery. Though HRT may be somewhat controversial, it is still one of the most reliable and effective treatments for menopause hormone problems and should be considered by any woman who is going through a dramatic menopause.

Women who have milder menopause hormone conditions may be helped by herbal remedies for menopause. Many herbs such as black cohosh, St. John’s Wort and valerian have been found to offer relief for many menopause hormone problems. Before taking anything, a woman should see her doctor and have a good physical examination and make sure that any medicines or herbs are safe for her particular menopause hormone symptoms. Never take a label’s word for it that it’s safe. Get your doctor’s advice first because the last thing you want to do is add to your menopause woes!

Getting exercise is an important part of daily life; it helps keep us fit and well and makes us feel better. Growing older should be no excuse for stopping an exercise regime, and in fact it is more important than ever to exercise as we age.

While taking hormone replacement therapy, getting exercise is particularly valuable; taking extra hormones such as HRT can sometimes have adverse effects. For example they may feel irritable with associated mood swings or they may feel they are gaining weight, all because of the relentless fluctuation in hormone levels. Although there is no definite research to prove taking HRT makes a woman put on weight, getting exercise can often make certain she feels better about herself.

Our metabolism usually slows down quite significantly as we get older, which means that even if we have always been slim naturally when younger, we often find it more of a struggle as we get older. Women who have never had this problem may find adjusting their calorie intake to suit their body difficult.

Exercising when you are taking HRT doesn’t need to be strenuous. You don’t have to join a gym, have the mindset of a triathlete, or get obsessive about it. All you need to do is get in a positive state of mind and tell yourself you are going to take a small amount of exercise every week or, even better, every day.

Walking can be one of the best forms of exercise, and establishing some walking in your everyday routine lets you get a surprising level of exercise.

Walking to work, if possible, is a good way to integrate exercise into your daily life. It’s most effective if it takes at least twenty minutes, but any amount is great. If walking to work is not a good option, and you own a dog, walking the dog is not only good for you but also your dog.

Swimming is also a high-quality exercise to do when taking hormone replacement therapy. Swimming exercises almost all of the body. You’ll find your body and energy tones up quickly, if you can make do with fitting in a swimming session three times a week,

Taking even a small amount of exercise will also help smooth out mood swings or feelings of depression you may be experiencing, since exercise releases natural feel good chemicals, endorphins, into the blood stream, that make us feel much better. Working out also lowers your risk for osteoporosis and high blood pressure, so why wait? Start this week and reap the benefits.

If you have not yet experienced menopause then the terms hormone replacement therapy may sound foreign to you. As the terms suggest, HRT or hormone replacement therapy is a treatment aimed at easing the symptoms of menopause by hormonal replacement.

Menopause is that period in a woman’s life when the body is in the process of changing and these changes are manifested through various symptoms like hot flushes, mood changes, depression, insomnia and night sweating.

A woman in menopausal stage can opt for hormonal replacement therapy is she wants to alleviate the many symptoms of menopause. Hormonal replacement therapy has been found effective in treating menopausal women who became depressed.

There are sectors who believe that hormonal replacement therapy can be used to treat other complications arising from female menopause like diabetes, osteoporosis and heart ailments.

However, some women experiencing menopause do not go for hormone replacement therapy because of the possible side effects of the said treatment. There are those who believe that women taking hormonal replacement therapy have high risks of developing breast cancer. Hormonal replacement therapy has also been blamed for blood clot formations resulting to heart disease.

There are experts, including Dr. John Lee, who believe that hormone replacement therapy expose menopausal women to greater health risks than if they were not taking the therapy. The risk of getting cancer is one of the reason s why most women experiencing menopause opt for natural and alternative treatments for the many symptoms of menopause.

During menopause, the production of a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels become erratic. These hormones play important roles in maintaining the proper functioning of a woman’s body like bone strengthening and blood cholesterol level maintenance.

During menopause, the production of these hormones decline and this causes bone problems and other ailments. Hormone replacement therapy can bring back the proper levels of these hormones in women and can prevent the risk of getting various menopause-related diseases.

While estrogen replacement has been found effective as a treatment for many years, medical research has shown that it increase a woman’s chances of getting breast and uterine cancer. This led the way to the addition of progestin to hormone treatments.

Women who eat the proper food and lead healthy lifestyles are the ones who are most probably able to experience menopause normally, even without hormone replacement therapy. For those who are thinking of availing of this therapy, it is important to talk this over with their doctors as the latter can give them the pros and cons of getting HRT.

Many post-menopausal women developed typical menopausal symptoms after discontinuation of HRT, with vasomotor and urogenital complaints being the most commonly reported. During post-menopause, most women experience a decrease in their menopausal symptoms, although health risks linked to decreased estrogen (e.g. The findings also suggest that oestrogen improves depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women, especially those with flushing symptoms. Conclusions In postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease, hormone therapy reduced physical function and energy but improved depressive symptoms overall. Soy intake related to menopausal symptoms, serum lipids, and bone mineral density in postmenopausal Japanese women. Isoflavone Menopause treatment When given in adequate doses to postmenopausal women, soy that contains isoflavone improves menopausal symptoms and related quality of life. Physical exercise and vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Urogenital symptoms Reversal of urogenital atrophy and its symptoms occurs in the majority of postmenopausal women. Transdermal progesterone and its effect on vasomotor symptoms, blood lipid levels, bone metabolic markers, moods, and quality of life for postmenopausal women. Transdermal progesterone and its effect on vasomotor symptoms, blood lipid levels, bone metabolic markers, mood, and quality of life for postmenopausal women. The range of menopause symptoms, related diseases, and quality of health for post-menopausal women is gigantic. Studies evaluated peri-menopausal women, post-menopausal women, or women on breast cancer therapies with menopausal symptoms. Abstract:Aims: The current study estimates the prevalence of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and quality of life (QOL) among peri- and post-menopausal women.

Soy phytoestrogens are seen by some as an alternative to estrogen therapy to treat post-menopausal symptoms. Researchers’ final recommendations suggested an overall benefit if estrogen therapy was used to treat postmenopausal symptoms for less than 6.8 years. Other areas for investigation are the development of quality-of-life measures regarding hormone therapy and alternative medicines and their role in treating postmenopausal symptoms. The current findings indicate that an isoflavone treatment regimen may be a safe and effective alternative therapy for postmenopausal symptoms, the authors note. Hormone therapy as a treatment choice for post-menopausal symptoms came under a cloud when a U.S. Another possible natural therapy for post-menopausal symptoms is the Chinese herb dong quai. To relieve the symptoms of menopause, doctors may prescribe postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Menopause’s Secret

Pueraria Mirifica capsule Pueragold THAI FDA. G. 10/2003 (E)

Pueragold is a premuim grade Thai herbal product derived mainly from the White Kwao Krua (Pueraria Mirifica) which contains. Phytoestrogen (Natural Plant Estrogen). This all-natural herbal formula stimulates and rebalances older women and men hormones level

Pueraria Mirifica CAPSULE Pueragold THAI FDA. G. 10/2003 (E)

ALL Natural Dietary Supplement

High Phytoestrogens (especially isoflavones):

*Reduces Menopausal/Post-Menopausal symptoms

*Increases sensitivity and vitality

*Enhances physical and mental ability

*Darken white hair & increases hair growth

*Alleviates sleep disorder & improves eyesight

*Enhances Breast and Skin Appearance

*Supports Healthy Prostate Function

*Supports Healthy Bone Structure

Ingredients: Pueraria Mirifica and other herbs

Packaging: 60 capsules per box

Recommended Dosage:

Men/Post-Menopausal Women: Take 1 capsule after breakfast and dinner everyday

Precautions: *If should not be used in pregnant women,nursing cervix mothers, or women diagnosed with tumors in estrogen-sensitive organs, e.g., ovary, uterus and breast.

Susun Weed maintains: “Menopause is not a ‘pathology’, but a passage to power. Like puberty, menopause is a natural – and healthy – change. Wise women the world over herald menopause as a health-promoting event. They see hot flashes as ‘power surges’ and menopause as an intense spiritual journey. Most treatments – including ERT, HRT, isoflavone, and progesterone creams – disrupt this process and can do severe damage to a woman’s health.”

MENOPAUSE IS ENLIGHTENMENT

The energy aspects of menopause are of special interest to me.

As a long-time student of yoga, I was struck by the many similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well-known esoteric goal of “awakening of the kundalini.” Though the ideas presented in this section may seem strange or difficult to comprehend, they contain powerful messages about menopause, which lie at the heart of the Wise Woman approach.

Kundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experiences … Kundalini is a special kind of energy known in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. Kundalini is said to be hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, within all life, and within each person. Psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung called kundalini anima. Kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, but women’s mystery stories locate it in the uterus – or the area where the uterus was, if a hysterectomy has occurred. During both puberty and menopause, a woman’s kundalini is difficult to control and may cause a great number of symptoms.

East Indian yogis spend lifetimes learning to activate, or wake up, their kundalini. This is also called “achieving enlightenment”. When they succeed, a surge of super-heated energy goes up the spine, throughout the nerves, dilating blood vessels, and fueling itself with hormones. As kundalini continues to travel up the spine, it changes the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Not just in yogis, but in any woman who allows herself to become aware of it. Menopause is a kind of enlightenment. Hot flashes are kundalini training sessions.

TAKING HORMONES? THESE HERBS ARE FOR YOU

More and more American women are using herbal remedies to help them with menopausal problems. Those who do take ERT (estrogen replacement) or HRT (hormone replacement) may be surprised to discover that herbal medicine has a lot to offer them as well.

Herbs for women on ERT/HRT include those that alleviate side-effects as well as those that counter problems caused by the hormones.

Herbal Helpers Counter Side-Effects

Water retention is the symptom most often cited for dissatisfaction with hormone replacement. Herbal tinctures and tea, such as dandelion or cleavers, and ordinary foods can not only relieve the distress, they will go to the root of the problem and help prevent recurrences.

Dandelion root tincture (Taraxacum officinale) strengthens the liver and helps it process out the excess hormones you are taking. When the liver works well, the kidneys work better, and tissues no longer bloat. A dose is 10-20 drops in several ounces of water or juice 2-3 three times a day. If you have any digestion problems, take your dandelion before meals; otherwise, anytime is fine. You can safely take dandelion daily for months or years if you need or want to.

Cleavers herb tincture (Galium molluga) tells the lymphatic tissues to get moving. Relief from edema is usually rapid when 20-30 drops are taken in several ounces of water or juice. Repeat up to six times at hourly intervals if needed. Cleavers is especially helpful for easing swollen, sore breasts.

Foods that relieve water retention include (in order of effectiveness): asparagus, nettles, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon (and watermelon seed tea), parsley, celery, black tea, and green tea.

Headaches are the second most common side-effect of hormone use. Unfortunately, they are common among menopausal women not taking hormones, too. Herbs that help relieve headache without a drug-like action – such as dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle, burdock, garden sage, skullcap, and St. John’s/Joan’s wort – are generally considered safe to take with hormones.

Chinese herbalists say headaches are caused by liver stress. My favorite liver-strengthening herbs are dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle seed, and burdock. I use one at a time, a 15-25 drops of the tincture several times a day, for two weeks. If symptoms continue, I switch to a different herb.

A strong tea of garden sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) offers immediate relief from headaches and helps prevent future ones. It also reduces night sweats. Tinctures of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and St. Joan’s/John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) ease pain and relieve muscle spasms. Use 5-20 drops of skullcap and a dropperful of St.J’s at the very first sign – no, the very first thought – of a headache. Repeat the doses every five minutes until pain free. Skullcap can be quite sedative, especially in large doses.

Herbal Allies to Prevent Problems Caused by Taking Hormones

Breast cancer risk is increased 20% in women who use ERT for five or more years. Use of HRT for five or more years increases breast cancer risk by 40%. Each five years of continued use increases the risk. In addition, women who take ERT are far more likely to get uterine or endometrial cancers. All women on hormones increase their risks of lung and ovarian cancer, too. Nourishing herbs such as red clover, and foods such as beans and yogurt, offer easy ways to stay cancer-free.

Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense), when dried and brewed into a strong infusion (one ounce herb steeped an a quart of boiling water for at least four hours) prevent cancer by providing phytoestrogens that counter the cancer-promoting effects of oral hormones. Usual dose is 2-4 cups a day. The infusion tastes like black tea and can be flavored with mint if you like.

Since uncooked beans and unfermented soy contain anti-nutritional factors that may promote bone loss and dementia, soy “milk” and tofu are not recommended. Miso and tamari definitely help to prevent breast cancer but soy isoflavones may promote it.

Yogurt helps build powerful immunity. Women who eat a quart of yogurt a week have 700% less cancer than women who eat no yogurt.

Dry eyes afflict more than 9% of women using ERT and over 7% of those on HRT. Risk increases by 70% for every year of continued use. And the longer a woman uses hormones, the greater her risk. Herbs such as oatstraw, chamomile, and chickweed can help relieve and prevent this problem.

Oatstraw infusion (Avena sativa) cools and moistens your eyes from the inside out, builds strong bones too. Use one ounce of dried herb in a quart jar; fill to the top with boiling water and cap tightly. Let steep four or more hours. Dose is 2-4 cups a day. Refrigerate after straining.

Cucumber slices ease dry eyes; so do chamomile tea bags.

The ultimate ally for women with dry eyes is fresh chickweed (Stellaria media), applied as a poultice to the closed eyes. Leave on for five minutes, or until the plant material feels warm (it will heat up). Repeat as needed.

Stroke and heart attack are actually increased by use of ERT/HRT, though modern medicine has long proclaimed the opposite. Every major double-blind study done to date has created a larger and larger gap between ERT/HRT’s supposed ability to help cardiovascular health and its actual results. Protect your heart with nourishing and tonifying herbs and foods such as motherwort, hawthorn, and cherries.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture helps the heart. The Japanese claim it is their secret of longevity. A dose is 5-15 drops, twice a day. Motherwort also relieves hot flashes, calms tachycardiia, and eases anxiety. It’s an all-in-one remedy for menopausal women.

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) flowers, leaves, and fruits are all used to maintain heart health and control fluid build-up in heart tissues. A dose is 20- 30 drops of tincture 2-4 times a day, or a cup of tea with meals. This widespread shrub is considered one of the finest heart tonics in the world.

Cherries are even better than apples at keeping the doctor away. Dried cherries and cherry juice, even tincture of cherries.

More than three-quarters of the women in America over the age of fifty have refused ERT/HRT. If you want to join them, taper off your dosage slowly, while continuing to use nourishing and tonifying herbs such as dandelion, motherwort, red clover, oatstraw, and seaweed.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ESTROGENS

• Women make estrogens.

Pharmaceutical companies make estrogens from substances such as horse urine, wild yam roots, and petrochemicals. Tamoxifen, used to treat and prevent breast cancer, is a type of pharmaceutical estrogen.

Women make at least thirty types of estrogen, including estradiol, estrone, and estrace. Estradiol is the strongest; it is turned on at puberty and turned off at menopause. Estradiol is positively linked with breast cancer; other human estrogens are not. Anything that reduces the amount of estradiol a woman produces (such as pregnancy, lactation, early menopause, and late puberty) also decreases her risk of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Phytoestrogens counter the detrimental effects of estradiol by competing for the same receptor sites.

Estradiol is a strong estrogen and is metabolized by the long path. The other estrogens our bodies make are weak estrogens and are metabolized by the short path. Alcohol turns off the short path. Phytoestrogens are weak hormones and hormonal precursors. Phytoestrogens in foods are metabolized by the short path. Phytoestrogens appear to protect tissues from the cancer-causing effects of estradiol, xenoestrogens and pharmaceutical hormones. Phytoestrogens in foods prevent cancer and promote health; phytoestrogen supplements and processed soy fake-foods may do the opposite. Breast cancer occurs four times more often in women whose urinary output of phytoestrogen by-products is low compared to women whose urinary output is high.

Phytoestrogens are common in food. They are concentrated in seeds (grains, beans, nuts, berries) and roots. The exceptions to the rule that plants don’t contain human hormones: French beans, rice, apple seeds, licorice, and pomegranate seeds contain the “weak” estrogen estrone.

To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:

1. Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those “in matrix.”

2. To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy gut flora.

3. Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used in different ways.

4. Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who do not have their ovaries.

1. Plants contain many types of phytoestrogens; additionally, they contain minerals and other constituents which help our bodies modify the phytoestrogens and so we can use them safely. Red clover is mineral-rich and contains all four of the major types of phytoestrogens: lignans, coumestans, isoflavones, and resorcylic acid lactones. It is the world’s best-known anti-cancer herb. In general, foods and herbs rich in phytoestrogens, with the possible exception of licorice, show anti-cancer abilities. Isoflavone, however, when isolated (usually from soy) has the opposite effect: in the lab it encourages the growth of breast cancer cells.

2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can’t be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use – with the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes.)

3. Plants which are exceptionally rich in phytoestrogens are regarded as powerful herbal medicines. Plants which are good sources of phytoestrogens are regarded as foods. While food can certainly be our medicine – a practice I advocate – it is also true that medicines are more dangerous than foods. Foods rich in phytoestrogens are different than medicinal herbs rich in phytoestrogens. They have different places in my life.

• I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.

Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life. The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet contains not just one but many choices from each list:

• Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)

Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to stick with it for at least three months.

• Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.

Phytoestrogenic herbs are usually too powerful for long- term use. From the list below (which is in alphabetical order), it is safest to use only one herb at a time, and use it only when needed, although that may mean daily use for several months. More information about these herbs, including specific dosages and cautions, is in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

• Agave root, black cohosh root, black currant, black haw, chasteberries, cramp bark, dong quai root, devil’s club root, false unicorn root, ginseng root, groundsel herb, licorice, liferoot herb, motherwort herb, peony root, raspberry leaves, rose family plants (most parts), sage leaves, sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berried, wild yam root, yarrow blossoms.

4. Most of the warnings about phytoestrogenic herbs center on their proven ability to thicken the uterine wall in animals who have had their ovaries removed. This could encourage cancer, just as taking ERT encourages cancer of the uterus by stimulating cell growth. Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods, but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs – especially ginseng, dong quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam – in small amounts and only for short periods.

NEWS NOTES ON PHYTOESTROGENIC PLANTS

• Recent studies indicate black cohosh does not suppress luteinizing hormone, has no estrogenic effect, and contains no compounds related to estrogen. Red clover flower heads contain many hormone-like flavonoids, including isoflavone, daidzein, genistein, formononetin, biochanin, sitosterol, and coumestrol, a particularly strong phytoestrogen (six times more active than the one in soy). Red clover contains all four major estrogenic isoflavones; soy has only two of them. A cup of red clover infusion (not tea) contains ten times more phytoestrogens than a cup of soy beverage, is richer in calcium, has less calories, and contains no added sugars.