Taking a Menopause Supplement
There are
various reasons why women approaching the menopause choose to
take a dietary supplement. The main reason is to prevent hot
flushes, a key menopause symptom, but a menopause supplement
can also be used as a general alternative to HRT, and to guard
against post menopause diseases such as
osteoporosis.
Menopause Supplements for Hot
Flushes
Here are
a couple of the menopause supplement options used to treat hot
flushes:
Black Cohosh is a
menopause supplement that is widely used in Europe and
the US. It can be taken as a pill on its own, as part of
an herbal supplement, or as part of a hormone therapy
treatment. Although it is considered very safe, there are
many doubts about how effective it is at preventing
hot flushes. A clinical trial in 2006 found that women
taking black cohosh experienced as many hot flushes as
women taking a placebo. If you are looking for a natural
menopause supplement to decrease the severity of your hot
flushes, it may be worth trying black cohosh, but it is
unlikely to stop them altogether.
Soy and Red Clover is another
menopause supplement used to treat hot flushes. It began
to be used when scientists observed that women in Asian
countries, where the diet contains more soy, experienced
fewer hot flushes than western women. Theoretically,
oestrogen-like compounds in this menopause supplement,
known as isoflavons, should provide relief from menopause
symptoms. However, the benefits of taking this menopause
supplement are not medically confirmed. As isoflavons act
like oestrogen, there may be an increased cancer risk, so
talk to your doctor before trying this menopause
supplement.
Vitamin E used to be recommended
for treating hot flushes. However this practice has been
widely discredited and it is believed that vitamin E
menopause supplements have little impact on menopause
symptoms.
Taking a Menopause Supplement as an Alternative
to Hormone Replacement Therapy
Due to the potential risks of
Hormone Replacement Therapy, there are now a wide variety of
natural herbal remedies on the market that claim to reduce
menopause symptoms without the risks. One of these is Macafem,
a menopause supplement made from an Andean root, which is
supposed to encourage your body to manufacture hormones more
effectively and in a more balanced
way.
Although
these menopause supplements are proving very popular among
menopausal women, a great deal of clinical testing is necessary
to determine their actual benefits and safety. Always consult
your doctor before trying any form of natural menopause
supplement as these may react badly with other medications you
are taking, or make an existing condition
worse.
Taking a Menopause Supplement to Guard Against
Osteoporosis
Many
women choose to take a dietary supplement during perimenopause
to ward off post menopause problems. One example would be
supplements of vitamin D and calcium to prevent the onset of
osteoporosis, a common post menopause
disease.
Premenopausal women and postmenopausal women who use
Hormone Replacement Therapy should consume at least 1000mg of
elemental calcium and a minimum of 800 international units of
vitamin D every day. Postmenopausal women not using HRT and all
men and women over the age of 65 should aim for 1500mg of
elemental calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D
daily.
Other
Topics.....
Menopause
Symptoms
What is
Menopause
Hormone Replacement
Therapy
Male
Menopause
Perimenopause
Bleeding after
Menopause
Surgical
Menopause
Menopause Relief
Menopause Treatment
Herbs for
Menopause
Early
Menopause
Menopause and High Blood Pressure
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