This area will constantly be added to as more relevant topics are completed.
Menopause
related topics
100% of women who reach middle age and beyond will go through menopause - that is having no periods, no further ovulation and reduction even cessation of ovarian hormone production. Other sites in the body can still produce small amounts of hormones, like the adrenals and fat tissue for example.
Does this matter? Well it depends on whether you are a woman and one of the 70% who has symptoms related to declining hormone levels. Some women suffer terribly while others wonder what all the fuss is about - lucky them!
Is menopause natural? Well,it happens so presumably it is. Is it healthy? Some say its meant to be to stop women having babies later in life. Others argue that its an ageing process where organs are actually failing. In other words it could be defined as a disease state. So, because of malfunction, degeneration of the body occurs.
This makes sense in a way. Compare with diabetes or thyroid disease - low or no hormones = medical disorder. One of the reasons why we get more unhealthy as we age is because of hormone deficiency.
What can be or should be done?
30% of women pass through this phase without symptoms and progress gradually and inevitably into old age. Gracefully? Reluctantly? Its our choice as to viewpoint.
Other women suffer for anything from a few months to many years of unpleasant symptoms, even actual damaging disorders as a consequence of those missing hormones.
Should we keep up a small level of hormones to remain healthy, as we were up until the menopause?
How is your Menopause health? Take a Questionnaire in the right side-bar.
Click on Hormone Therapy for an in depth review of this concept.
Diet
Essential for control of weight gain which is common with unbalanced hormones, less exercise and increased recreational eating habits - the cafe culture. Soy products may help mild symptoms as it contains diosgenins (natural substances) which act a bit like estrogens and can activate 'receptor sites'. Debate rages as with almost any food these days as to whether soy is good or bad. Some believe it may promote inflammation and auto-immune disorders. On balance, modest intake should be fine. I don't think its good for children especially babies because of the hormone-like activity.
As said before, the Mediterranean type diet is the best all-rounder as its low in processed foods, low in carbs (the weight factor) high in polyunsaturated fats (oils like olive oil) and modest in protein and of course high in vegetables. Try for as much raw food as possible. Epidemiological research appears to show that the more plant based foods we eat the better.
Herbs - many possibilities. Most common are : Black Cohish, Vitus agnes, Red leaf clover.
Supplements - Certain bioflavonoids like Hesperidin with vitamins can be good for flushes.
Exercise - always part of a good anti-ageing program.
Bone care
Even long before menstruation ceases, hormone quantities diminish which means the organs and tissues throughout the body don't have optimum support. Bones are constantly being 'recycled' in other words, being broken down (catabolic) and rebuilt (anabolic). In fact almost all body cells die and get replaced, at different rates. Bone minerals are removed and new replaced. If the catabolic rate exceeds to anabolic rate the net result is the gradual loss of total bone minerals. This is called osteopenia. When it becomes severe enough to be a potential for fracturing or pain its called osteoporosis. There are certain risk factors that may help predict your likelihood of developing osteoporosis.
Testing for bone health.
X-rays can show up thin bones (osteoporosis) only when more advanced - getting too late.
Blood tests can't pick it up, but can test for some minerals, hormones and the very important Vitamin D.
Bone Density Scan - is the best method. It does involve small amounts of X-ray exposure (about a 20th of a chest X-ray). Ideally get one done early into menopause as a base-line. Its called a Dexa scan.
N-Telopeptide proteins, the 'NPD' urine test - useful in determining the balance of the anabolic vs catabolic process.
Treatment and bone mineral loss prevention
Far better to assess early and prevent bone loss. Once well established it is more difficult and will usually require drugs to force the catabolic process to slow down. Effective but is a drug and can be side-effects.
But there are potentially severe side-effects from doing nothing too like fractured hips, wrists and spine not to mention back ache.
Our clinic provides a full bone workup and management protocol options based on the Bone Density results. The program is centred around diet, exercise (if possible), bone nutrient replacement (not just calcium !!), natural anabolic hormone replacement where appropriate (estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, HGH).
What about CALCIUM
Of course bone contains a lot of calcium. From the analysis of many studies (meta-analysis) it turns out that having lots of dairy foods does not contribute that much to overall bone mineral health in women or children! Now doesn't that make us wonder about all that milk we take and put up with the allergies! in fact good calcium can be got from a range of green veges. Milk is just a quick and easy way of at least getting some food into people who otherwise would have shocking diets. For young growing children a glass of milk is way better than a can of coke!