Menopause Natural Treatment with Soy Isoflavones

Menopause is a difficult time in every woman's life. Fortunately, in recent years researchers have come to recognize the benefits that alternative remedies for menopause can bring. Soy isoflavones are among the most promising natural herbs for menopause and bring relief to many women suffering from menopause & pre menopause symptoms.

Menopause Definition

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her monthly cycle of ovulation and menstruation stops and the body prepares to transition into the post-fertile stage of life. Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

Common Menopause Symptoms

Hot flashes
Night sweats
Headaches
Heart palpitations
Mood swings, including irritability & anxiety
Vaginal dryness, making sex difficult or painful
Disrupted menstrual cycle (periods become less frequent and eventually stop)

Menopause formula. Natural herbs for menopause

Natural Assets' Formula for Women features Soy Isoflavones & other well researched herbs & nutrients that help reduce the symptoms of menopause. Click here for more information.

Stages of Menopause

Menopause is a gradual process that can last for many years. The first stage, known as perimenopause or pre menopause, indicates that the end of a woman's fertility is approaching. Most women will experience some or all of the symptoms listed above as a result of declining estrogen levels in the body. During this stage, a woman can still get pregnant, so she should continue using birth control until at least a year has passed since her last period.

Some symptoms of menopause can continue after the woman has had her final period, during the stage known as post-menopause. Her risks of heart disease and osteoporosis are increased during this stage of her life..

Soy Isoflavones Benefits for Menopause

Women looking for alternative remedies for menopause will be excited by the news that soy isoflavones could provide the symptom alleviation they are looking for. Soy foods have long been recommended in Asian countries to help women manage their menopause symptoms. Recently, the most beneficial parts of the soy bean, known as isoflavones, have been isolated and tested to see how effective they are at controlling the symptoms of menopausal women.

Menopause symptoms are caused by declining estrogen levels. Soy isoflavones, sometimes known as phytoestrogens or 'plant estrogen', have an estrogen-like effect on the body. Many doctors recommend these natural herbs for menopause because there is an increasing body of evidence showing that they are effective at reducing menopause symptoms. For example, placebo-controlled studies have shown that soy isoflavones help to reduce hot flashes during menopause. The FDA also recommends consuming soy every day, as part of a healthy diet, to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is a condition that is more likely to affect women after they pass through the menopause.

Soy Isoflavones Side Effects

The side effects of using soy and estrogen as a way to control menopausal symptoms have been studied extensively. There is increasing evidence to suggest that using estrogen in the form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for several years can raise a woman's risk of breast cancer and stroke. Soy isoflavones are considered by many to be a milder and therefore safer alternative to chemical HRT. Women who are concerned about the risks of soy and estrogen should consult their physician for advice

Soy Isoflavones Supplements

There are many natural herbs that are thought to be helpful in managing menopause symptoms. Many natural health experts recommend that menopausal and perimenopausal women take a daily supplement that contains several of the most effective natural herbs for menopause, along with soy isoflavones, to help control their symptoms.

The best women's health supplements also contain essential minerals and vitamins, including calcium to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and vitamin E to protect the heart. One such supplement is the Formula for Women from HealthChoiceNatural.com; this natural alternative to HRT helps menopausal women to feel like themselves again. Click here for more information

Related Readings:

References:

Reginster, Jean-Yves L., Ipriflavone: Pharmacological Properties and Usefulness to Postmenopausal Osteoporosis, Bone and Mineral 23: 223-32, 1993
Excretion of isoflavonoids in the urine of Japansese women was found much higher than in American and Finnish women. The high intake may partly explain why hot flashes and other menopausal complaints are reduced in Japanese women. (Aldercreutz, Herman and Esa Hamalainen, Dietary Phyto-Estrogens and the Menopause in Japan. The Lancet 339: 1233, May 16, 1992
Plant estrogens like Red Clover provide a supplementary source of estrogens, which help to softenthe beginning of menopause and lead to fewer short-term problems like hot flashes and fewer long-tem problems such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Brown, Donald, et al. Clinical Application of Natural Medicine: Menopause., monograph (Seattle: Natural Product Research Consultants, 1997