Natural Supplements for Menopause
Some women go through menopause with few or no noticeable symptoms. However, some of us get” lucky” and experience symptoms such as:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Poor libido
- Bladder problems
- Vaginal dryness and itching
- Burning and discomfort during sexual intercourse
- Breast tenderness
- dryness and aging of the skin
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Insomnia
MellowPause Benefits:
- Reduce hot flashes commonly associated with the change of life
- Support balanced mood and routine calmness
- Maintain healthy sleeping patterns
- Support hormonal balance during perimenopause and menopause
- Negotiate the menopause comfortably, while embracing an exciting new stage of your life!
Hopefully not all in the same day! All of these symptoms are due to estrogen and progesterone deficiency. Over the long term, the diminished supply of estrogen increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and vaginal atrophy.
Osteoporosis in particular is a major problem for women after menopause. An estimated 80% of the 250,000 hip fractures that occur in the United States every year are due to osteoporosis.
Although estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, the hormone does not disappear entirely. Other organs take over from the ovaries and continue to produce some estrogen and other hormones. Organs known as endocrine glands secrete hormones to maintain proper bodily functions.
Menopause, also referred to as the “change of life,” is the point at which a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases, indicating the end of fertility. When a woman stops ovulating, her ovaries largely stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is more than a sex hormone strictly tied to reproduction, it also acts on many different organs in the body. Cells in the:
- Vagina
- Bladder
- Breasts
- Skin
- Bones
- Arteries
- Heart
- Liver
- Brain
all contain estrogen receptors, and require this hormone to stimulate these receptors for normal cell function. Estrogen is needed to keep the skin smooth and moist, the body’s internal thermostat operating properly, and the arteries unclogged, for example. It is also necessary for proper bone formation.
This period in a woman’s life can come early or later, but the average age at menopause is about fifty. The transition usually lasts up to five years. A woman who undergoes a hysterectomy but who keeps at least one of her ovaries stops menstruating after surgery, but she will still go through menopause. If the ovaries are removed during hysterectomy, menopause occurs suddenly and symptoms may be more severe. Smoking is associated with early menopause.
Remember, it is important to remember that menopause is not a disease. It is a natural process in a woman’s life. How a woman views this time of her life can have a lot to do with how frequent and severe her symptoms are. If menopause is thought as the end of youth and sexuality, this time will be much more difficult than if it is viewed as the next, natural phase of life. With a proper diet, natural supplements, and exercise, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized, if not eliminated.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, and hot soups and drinks; they can trigger hot flashes, aggravate urinary incontinence, and make mood swings worse. They also make the blood more acidic, which prompts the bones to release calcium to act as a buffering agent. This is an important factor in bone loss.
The decision to use hormone replacement therapy is up to each individual. If you are considering estrogen treatment, it is critical to analyze your medical history while weighing the benefits against the possible risks. It is inadvisable to take estrogen if you have a personal or family history of breast cancer, uterine cancer, of fibroid tumors; if you have cystic breasts diagnosed as “atypical hyperplasia”; or if you suffer from liver or gallbladder disease.
There are some wonderful natural supplements for this time in a woman’s life that makes life much easier for her and her loved ones.
These are some great ones:
