4 minute read
Forget HRT - can you manage menopause, naturally?
Night sweats, mood swings, low energy; it sounds like the menopause.
Normally these unpleasant symptoms are managed with HRT (hormone replacement therapy). But, the side-effects can be unfavorable, leaving many women to seek natural alternatives.
Menopause is a natural transition for every woman.
From ages 40-57, a woman's reproductive cycle stops. Her hormone levels drop as a result.
This drop creates common menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, joint pain, and energy dips.
We’ve gathered our 3 favourite natural herbs to support you through the menopause.
SHILAJIT supports bones in menopause.
Are you one of the thousands of women who worry about their bone health in menopause?
Bone health is a common, valid concern for women going through the menopause.
What’s the link between bones and menopause?
Hormone levels drop during menopause, and one of these hormones is oestrogen.
Oestrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining the density of bone, and the rate of its growth.
So, when oestrogen drops during menopause, bones become weaker and decrease in size.
Is there a way of supporting my bones in menopause and reducing the impact of low oestrogen?
Yes! Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) -commonly prescribed by GPs- aims to regulate oestrogen, and reduce bone damage.
But, many women suffer from the unpleasant symptoms of these artificial hormones.
Shilajit - a natural mineral- reduces bone turnover rate (how fast bones are broken down and re-made) meaning less bone-loss overall (1).
Shilajit also reduces the oxidation and inflammation that goes hand in hand with plummeting estrogen.
This small, sticky black rock from the himalayas may be your dose of menopause magic.
As our customer, Normah, told us; “good things do come in small packages. If you are going through perimenopause and need a strong push, try this!”
We recommend adding a piece of shilajit -the size of a grain of rice- to your smoothies or dinners to begin with.
How SEAMOSS supports menopause
Did someone just crank the heating up, or are you having a menopausal hot flush?
Up to 80% of women experience hot flushes during menopause.
If you’re one of them, then you’re all too familiar with the dizziness, anxiety, palpitations and general discomfort that accompany them.
Research shows that these hot flushes may correlate with iodine levels in the thyroid.
Your thyroid produces hormones associated with regulating body heat, and these hormones are made of iodine.
So, iodine is an essential mineral to account for in menopause.
We only need small doses that are usually attainable from our diets.
Unfortunately, modern agriculture strips most of our food of iodine, making supplementation important.
Seamoss is one of the most iodine rich plants on earth, and may support iodine levels in menopause (2).
Seamoss is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals which helps the body to nourish itself through the menopause.
One of our lovely customers has told us she is ‘currently going through the menopause, and has found a notable difference in skin and hair quality’.
So, just like an ocean breeze, supplementing with this versatile, well-loved sea plant, may help you to feel… cooler and calmer in the menopausal heat.
MACA for menopausal mood
If you feel your menopause is making a storm of your mood, you’re not alone.
Over 20% of women experience mood swings with menopause.
And, 8-10% of these women experience ‘super-sensitive’ mood swings (3).
What’s at the root of menopausal mood swings?
Hormones!
As levels fluctuate, your body finds it hard to reach balance.
Over 12 weeks, on average, 175 people found maca to improve their mood (4). But, maca doesn’t do anything to your hormones...
Maca is a type of supplement called an adaptogen.
This means maca supports your HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary axis) and your body’s ability to handle stress.
Normally, maca comes as a butterscotch flavored powder, making it a delicious addition to smoothies and shakes.
Summary
Menopause is an important, often challenging, transition for every woman.
Not every woman will find contemporary HRT to be the best option, and many will turn to natural therapies to support their symptoms.
Maca, Shilajit, and Seamoss are part of a much bigger picture of natural, safe alternatives for the menopause.
Have you tried natural menopause support?
Let us know in the comments!
REFERENCES
- Usharani, P. and Chandrasekhar, N. (2022). Shilajit extract reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and bone loss to dose-dependently preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine, p.154334.
- Korkmaz, V., Ozkaya, E., Cekmez, Y., Leblebıcı, D., Dagdevıren, G., Cınar, M., Kara, F. and Kucukozkan, T. (2015). Relationship between the body iodine status and menopausal symptoms during postmenopausal period. Gynecological Endocrinology: The Official Journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, [online] 31(1), pp.61–64. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25211538/ [Accessed 24 Mar. 2023].
- Kate Bracy (2022). Mood Swings During Menopause? You’re Not Alone. [online] Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/menopause-mood-swings-causes-and-coping-2322791 [Accessed 24 Mar. 2023].
- Hrefna Palsdottir, MS (2016). 9 Benefits of Maca Root (and Potential Side Effects). [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-maca-root.