Women’s Herbal Wisdom
(Page 5 of 7)
March/April 2005
By Linda B. White, M.D.
As estrogen levels fall, women begin to believe in global warming or suspect coworkers and family members of flipping up the thermostat. Episodes of hot flashes and sweating occur during the day and night. Frequent sweat-soaked awakenings disrupt sleep. Vaginal tissues become thinner and drier (making sex less pleasurable). Concentration fizzles and moods go south.
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Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) alleviates many of the symptoms and helps keep bones strong but often produces such side effects as bloating, breast tenderness, depression and vaginal bleeding — and worse, can increase the risk of blood clots and cancers of the uterus, breasts and ovaries.
“The actual risk to any one woman is small,” points out Lisa Corbin, M.D., the medical director of The Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora. Her approach is to find out what each woman wants. Many of her patients are willing to modify their diets, exercise more, learn relaxation training and try herbs — all of which can help. If symptoms persist, HRT can be added to the regimen but typically at doses much lower than standard treatment.
Savor Your Soy
Lee points out that Japanese women, who consume more soy and veggies and fewer meats than the average American woman, seem to have an easier transition into menopause and a lower risk of breast cancer — unassisted by HRT. Soy (Glycine max) and other legumes contain isoflavones, which act as phytoestrogens (weak plant estrogens) in the body.
Studies on soy’s effectiveness during perimenopause have been inconclusive. The type of soy preparation used includes soy foods (soy milk, soy flour or tofu), soy protein or isolated isoflavones. The isoflavone content in soy foods varies widely, and it’s possible that other soy constituents are important.
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