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Menopause occurs when a woman stops having her periods due to lower hormone levels. To begin with a woman's periods may become less frequent and then by definition Menopause is when menstruation has ceased for one year or more.

In the UK the average age to reach the menopause is 51 with most women usually being affected between the ages of 45 and 55.

Some women will choose Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to deal with the symptoms and hormonal changes associated with menopause, while others may decide to explore natural options available to them.

HRT is not a one-size fits all treatment. The type of HRT and the dose prescribed will vary according to the individual needs.

Many women simply do not wish to use HRT and would prefer to use natural remedies or food supplements to support their symptoms.

Here are the most common side effects reported during menopause and natural remedies to treat these conditions include:

Hot Flushes & Night Sweats

The reduction in female hormones has a cascading effect on all hormone producing glands including the hypothalamus (located in brain) which is the temperature regulating gland of the body. The best theory of hot flushes and night sweats is that the hypothalamus gets confused thinking the body is overheating causing your heart to pump faster, blood vessels to dilate to regulate heat and sweat glands into an overdrive (another way of cooling ) resulting in night sweats.

Not every woman will experience hot flushes – there is a genetic link and also ethnicity link too – Caucasian women are less likely to suffer from hot flushes than other ethnic groups – we do not fully understand why this appears to be the case. Other factors are lifestyle factors which include weight, smoking and inactivity.

Sage Complex is an all natural and powerful female hormone balancing supplement containing Vitamin B6 and natural herbs that help to mimic the female hormones and hence help alleviate common menopausal concerns including hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. This supplement contains a comprehensive formulation of herbs that are considered ‘phytoestrogens’; herbs that mimic oestrogen in their chemical structure. Because they are not actually oestrogen itself, generally they are free from side effects. Sage Complex also helps to alleviate anxiety and low energy levels.

Additionally, whether the hot flushes are associated with the menopause or simply due to heat in the body, I would also recommend using PhysiCool Rapid Cooling Mist. Using rapid evaporation technology, Physicool Rapid Cooling Mist works instantly to help draw heat away from skin and thus reduces skin temperature to cool the face quickly. 93% of users found it helped them to alleviate their hot flushes and 87% found this spray cooled the body down by over an hour.

Stress

Stress is the single biggest concern reported with feelings of anxiety, panic attacks and mild to moderate depression. The reason is the reduction in female hormones causes the production of excess cortisol (stress hormone). Cortisol blocks the uptake of serotonin by the brain which is the mood elevating hormone.

Magnolia Rhodiola Complex is a herbal food supplement for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress, anxiety and low mood such as fatigue, exhaustion, and mild anxiety.  Magnolia Rhodiola capsules incorporate traditional herbal stress-lowering herbs to support calming factors helping you to feel relaxed without drowsiness, elevate mood and improve emotional well-being. 

Magnolia extracts have been shown to physically relax muscles and nerves as well as help to reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone responsible for a variety of symptoms, based on traditional use only.  Magnolia Rhodiola works by counteracting the body's fight or flight response. At times of stress, the body goes through a series of changes in order to prepare you to run away or stay and fight. Part of this response is the release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. If your stress response isn't reversed, it can contribute to a condition known as adrenal stress or adrenal fatigue and can also interfere with the hormones involved in your sexual response. The result may be low libido. 

Magnolia Rhodiola is a superb natural remedy with adaptogens that helps increase the body's ability to cope with all types of stressors whether physical, hormonal, or emotive, based on traditional use only.

Hair Loss or Thinning Hair

Hair Loss is something that we should address as soon as we can because leaving the scalp follicle for long periods of time can cause the shift from dormancy to atrophy.

The most widely accepted theory for hair loss is the decline in female hormones which results in the dominance of the male hormones (required for libido and energy). Since the body works within very finite levels of all hormones, it converts these male hormones into DHT which is a substance that causes underlying inflammation in the scalp.

This inflammation hinders the production of keratin and also sends some of the scalp follicles into their resting phase which results in hair loss.

I recommend Superior Hair which is a supplement that contains saw palmetto to prevent DHT formation, as well as Biotin which is required for the production of keratin, and Zinc and other actives to strengthen the exisiting hair shaft.

For extreme hair loss, you can also additionally take Solgar Biotin 5000mcg. Biotin helps maintain healthy growth because of its ability to enhance keratin and to reduce inflammation.

Finally, topical application of Fulvic Mist onto the scalp every night or at least twice a week seems to help too. This supplies the scalp with ionic minerals to nourish the scalp, calms down underlying inflammation, and helps remove any DHT build-up from the hair follicles which blocks hair growth.

Sleep Disturbance

As mentioned previously, cortisol blocks serotonin and serotonin is normally converted into melatonin at night time – so low serotonin levels result in low melatonin levels causing sleep problems. Cherry Night is a powder which contains:

Cherry extracts – cherries naturally contain melatonin

Magnesium – relaxes muscles and is required for the production of melatonin (bear in mind that magnesium deficiencies are very widespread in the adult population)

Glycine – clinically studied and found to improve sleep quality

Red dates – have a calming effect on the nervous system which is why they are often recommended to tackle insomnia.

Joint Pain

Joint pain occurs often several year before the menopause termed the perimenopause years and during menopause. It is very common since oestrogen protects our joints and muscles and reduces inflammation so as it declines, inflammation levels rise in the body.

I would recommend Superior Joints which is a unique supplement containing Natural Eggshell Membrane which has been the subject of small clinicals showing its benefits in relieving pain often within two weeks. Natural Eggshell Membrane also contains two amino acids known to help in the joint repair processes.

Superior Joints also contains ginger and turmeric for their circulatory benefits which helps to remove some of the acidic compounds that cause pain and stiffness, as well as hyaluronic acid which helps to cushion the cartilage.

Vaginal Dryness & Recurrent Infections

One in four women experience vaginal dryness during the menopause which can lead to painful intercourse, itching and even urinary discomfort.

The glands at the neck of the womb release a fluid that keeps the skin moist and supple and is directly dependent upon levels of oestrogen in the body. Other causal factors include lifestyle factors (caffeine, alcohol), certain medications and other hormonal causes.

In time the vaginal tissues become inflamed (causing itching), thinner and lose their elasticity leading to atrophy. They are also liable to infection. Basically, the ph of the tissues lining the vagina changes from acid to alkaline which can result in more susceptibility to infection.

The supplement of choice is Sibu Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn Oil. Omega 7 supplements have been the subject of eleven clinical trials. Sea Buckthorn oil contains beta carotene, trace minerals, omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and additionally is the richest source of omega 7 essential fats. Omega 7 essential fatty acids are important structural components of mucous membranes which form the protective lining of internal organs such as the vaginal, digestive and respiratory tracts, as well as the surface of the eyes and mouth. Sea Buckthorn oil not only promotes healthy regeneration of these membranes but also provides nutrients essential for the proper functioning of the membranes in the vaginal tract.

In a study conducted by The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Finland, it was concluded that sea buckthorn oil was a natural and effective solution contributing to the health of mucous membranes including where vaginal dryness occurs.

I recommend the use of the omega 7 alongside a specific vaginal moisturiser from Yes Lubricants called Yes VM – Natural Vaginal Moisturiser. The reason for using this is because this vaginal moisturiser is not a simple lubricant. It is designed to match the pH of the vagina free from petrochemicals and other nasty preservatives and contains hydrocolloids which gently adhere to the vaginal walls releasing moisture. Each application works for roughly 3 days. If one gets recurrent vaginal infections, then please consider taking Candipure tablets.

Headaches & Migraines

We all get headaches now and again but during menopause these can become frequent and intense due to the wildly fluctuating female hormones.

Numerous studies indicate a relationship between magnesium deficiencies and mild to moderate headaches and migraines. Since magnesium deficiency is widespread (as it is required in nearly 300 biochemical reactions in the body and our diet simply does not provide sufficient), it would be beneficial to take a quality magnesium supplement such as Magnesium Complex.

This supplement provides several forms of magnesium so that these forms can be involved in the variety of processes that require magnesium.

Incidentally, magnesium is also required for energy production with a lack of energy being one of the concerns during menopause.

Brain Fog, Memory & Poor Recall

Brain fog is a condition that many women use to describe the inability to recall information, to concentrate and to focus on tasks. It is a very common concern during perimenopause and during menopause and the reason is simple:

Oestrogen stimulates the brain. It keeps those nerve cells firing in the brain and supports the growth of new nerve cells as well as existing cells to form new connections.

At a cellular level, oestrogen pushes your brain cells to burn more glucose which is its main fuel – any reduction in oestrogen results in less fuel for your brain cells.

Help is at hand with the use of a forgotten herb that is gaining momentum with the scientific community called Bacopa Monieri. This is an ayurvedic herb called Brahmi that has been used for centuries to enhance memory and increasingly there are more studies on this herb in the last year for obvious reasons.

There have been a number of studies demonstrating improvements in verbal learning, recall of information, memory acquisition and to some extent anxiety reduction which in itself enhances the ability to concentrate. I would recommend Viridian Nutrition Brahmi Extract which is a one-a-day supplement with a high concentration of actives called Bacosides.

Longevity & Future protection

Bone Health - If you have a history of osteoporosis in the family, then it might be prudent to consider taking a calcium supplement such as Bone Restore with Vitamin K2.

Longevity - Some of us may have heard of NMN or NAD. NAD is a compound made by the body from vitamin B3. It is the second most abundant compound in the body after water and with good reason. Think of it as an enable of processes providing:

NAD+ Generator is a unique NAD supplement which regenerates NAD to help maintain youthful levels of NAD+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme involved in fighting cellular ageing and enhancing energy levels needed for cell repair and regeneration. Levels of NAD+ decline with age, and this has been linked to numerous age-related disorders and diseases. When levels decrease, the body does not function well and is less effective at repairing itself; energy levels and metabolic rate drop. Without sufficient NAD+, the body does not carry out its functions properly, which can lead to health concerns over time.

Many people take collagen supplements during and post menopause but why does collagen manufacture deplete? It is thought that the cells that manufacture collagen, called fibroblasts, are depleted as we age AND simply don’t have the energy to produce sufficient numbers. Taking NAD+ therefore enhances collagen production and is equally important as taking collagen.

Skin Health - As we have mentioned above, during menopause, low levels of oestrogen have a great impact on your skin. Lower oestrogen levels make one prone to sagging, thinning and wrinkles. A lack of oestrogen decreases our defence mechanisms against free radicals causing damage, there is therefore more damage to elastin and so more likely to get sagging of skin, and also increased dryness since oestrogen governs the fat digesting enzyme lipase. Therefore skin is less moisturised. You might wish to introduce a collagen supplement such as Ingenious Collagen supplement.

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