Natural Menopause Aid
30 July 2008
Good news ahead of World Menopause Day (18 October), researchers at Southampton University have discovered that simple relaxation techniques can reduce women's experiences of menopausal hot flushes by 22 per cent.
Often, women feel that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the only option when managing the symptoms associated with the menopause. However, not all women want to use 'medication' to ease the symptoms of a naturally-occurring stage in their life.
Dr Julian Kenyon, founding president of The British Society for Integrated Medicine and director and practitioner at The Dove Clinic For Integrated Medicine has some natural tips to help women ease the common symptoms, associated with the menopause.
"Women are becoming increasingly wary of the side-effects linked with the use of HRT and are actively seeking natural alternatives to help alleviate and manage the symptoms of the menopause."
At the Dove Clinic, Dr Kenyon tests for hormone fluctuations in women experiencing the menopause by taking saliva samples in order to determine their individual patterns of oestrogen and tailor-make a treatment, specific to the patient.
The treatment focuses on three key areas to help women through the menopause, without loading up on medication:
Exercise
Regular exercise can help to balance the 'happy-hormone', serotonin, which can be extremely beneficial to women experiencing mood changes during the menopause.
Healthy Eating
Hot flushes are not only uncomfortable for those experiencing them, they can also contribute to insomnia, fatigue and depression. Soy products such as tofu and miso are commonly recommended and Dr Kenyon suggests increasing fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish in a menopausal diet.
Herbal Supplements
"Herbs can be very potent and should always be treated with respect," says Kenyon. 'Adaptogenic' herbs, which have a balancing effect on the body, such as agnus castus and black cohosh can restore hormonal harmony and relieve hot flushes and sleep disturbance without the need for HRT.
For contact info see Dr Kenyon's Body Guide listing.