MENOPAUSE
Menopause, (mono meaning month and pause meaning cessation), also referred to as "change of life." is a natural progression of aging instead of some kind of disease or hormonal malfunction. It is the time when women stop ovulating.
Menopause usually occurs between 35 and 58 years of age. The menses may stop suddenly, there may be a decreased flow each month until there is a final cessation, or the interval between periods may be lengthened until complete cessation is accomplished. Menopause cannot be said to have occurred until there has been no menstruation for twelve months or more.
Natural menopause will occur in 25% of women by age 47, in 50% by age 50, 75% by age 52, and in 95% by age 55.
The symptoms that may be associated with menopause can last from a few months to years varying from being hardly noticeable to severe. With the reduction of estrogen that occurs from inactive ovarian function, there is a gradual shrinkage of the lining membranes of the vagina, the vulva, the uterus and the fallopian tubes. A sensation of dryness, itching, and other symptoms may result. Other symptoms are: vasomotor instability, nervousness, hot flashes, chills, excitability, fatigue, apathy, mental depression, crying, palpitations, vertigo headache, numbness, tingling, urinary disturbances and stomach and bowel problems.
Hot flashes, or hot flushes, may start with an aura followed by a feeling of discomfort in the abdominal area, perhaps a chill quickly followed by a feeling of heat moving toward the head. Next the face becomes red and sweating is followed by exhaustion.
At puberty the female body begins a cycle of preparing for possible pregnancy every 28 days. The process is regulated by an intricate interplay of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This process continues for the next 35 to 40 years. At that time the hormones controlling the process start to diminish and the body enters the phase of menopause.
With the decrease in sexual hormones the woman's body begins to change. Lower levels of estrogen are thought to cause malfunctions in the body's temperature-regulating center (the hypothalamus) resulting in hot flashes. Some women have very few problems with menopause. For others the problems are minimal and some women have major problems going through menopause. What I have observed over the years is that the stronger and healthier the women, (due to a good life style, which results in a strong immune system), the fewer problems they have while going through menopause. Vegetarian women are definitely at an advantage in handling menopause successfully.
Estrogen is a complex and powerful hormone and an imbalance can cause many problems throughout the body. It is produced mainly in the ovaries in response to the hormonal signals it receives from the pituitary gland. Small amounts of estrogen are also produced by the adrenal glands.
As the ovaries quit producing estrogen, two areas need to be evaluated. They are the thyroid and adrenal glands. Like the ovaries, the thyroid is controlled by the pituitary gland. During menopause we want to make certain that the ovaries are getting adequate hormonal stimulus from the pituitary. An underactive thyroid can increase the workload of the pituitary to the point the ovary stimulation is compromised. To determine if your thyroid is overactive, underactive or normal see accompanying information box.
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THYROID
The thyroid is a small gland located in the neck just above the collar bone. It produces hormones that help regulate the metabolism in every cell of the body.
Thyroid Temperature Test
Every morning before you get out of bed take your temperature under your arm for five minutes. Keep still and quiet, any motion can upset the temperature reading. Keep a record for four weeks. A normal axillary temperature would be from 97.8 -98.4. If it is less than 97.8 you have an underactive thyroid. If it is over 98.4 you probably have an overactive thyroid.
Overactive Thyroid
Symptoms
Underweight
Large appetite
Nervousness
Increased body temperature
Weakness
Increased blood pressure Increased pulse Protruding eyes Insomnia Increased perspiration
Underactive Thvroid
Symptoms Overweight Loss of appetite Painful premenstrual periods Weakness Dry & scaly skin
Sleeps a lot
Recurrent infections
Constipation
Depression
Slow speech
Drooping swollen eyes
Always cold
Eat Lots of Cabbage Carrots Turnips Pears Peaches
Strawberries Soy Beans
Overactive Treatment
Avoid
Sauerkraut
Coffee
Bananas
Dairy Products
Tea Soft drinks
Kelp Iodized Salt
Get Plenty of Exercise Take the herb Bugleweed
Take Cool Showers morning & evenings
Take the herb Kelp
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If your thyroid is underactive then you need to follow the suggestions mentioned. Very often hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms will be eliminated or greatly improved when an underactive thyroid becomes normal again.
Next, we need to look at the adrenal glands. When they are functioning properly, they have the capability of producing estrogen. Even small amounts can produce very positive results. Almost all women suffering from menopause problems will have both underactive thyroids and underactive adrenal glands. Unresolved stress and high intakes of caffeine and sugar are the most common causes of weakened adrenal glands.
DIET PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN MENOPAUSE
One new study has focused on the use of foods containing phytoestrogens to help regulate menopause. Phytoestrogens are chemical substances found in plants that can balance the body's natural estrogen levels. In Australia, researchers fed 23 menopausal women 10% of their calories in the form of phytoestrogen-containing foods such as soy flour. Afterwards researchers evaluated the maturation of the women's vaginal cells (one reliable indication of estrogen activity). In only two weeks maturation had increased 40%(1). Another very rich source of phytoestrogens is pomegranate seeds. They contain an estrogen-like compound practically identical to natural estrogen(2). Some other foods containing phytoestrogens are: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dry barley seedlings, peanuts, soybeans, common bean seedlings, pea seedlings, corn, radish greens, figs, beets, okra, strawberries, apples, cherries, olives, plums, carrots, yams, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, brown rice, oats, wheat, and coconut, with sesame seeds and sunflower seeds being the two highest in phytoestrogens from this list.
Women who are overweight should be on two meals a day. No water should be taken at meal time, but plenty of pure soft water should be consumed daily. How much is plenty? It depends upon your weight. To know the approximate amount of water needed daily for a sedentary person, you divide the person's weight in half and that is how many ounces of water they need. For example, a 150 Ib. person's weight is divided in half which would be 75, so they need 75 ounces of water, which would be approximately nine 8 ounce glasses of water daily. If they work out in the hot sun or sweat a lot they need more. Most individuals do not eat enough natural foods. What kind of foods should we eat? All the natural ones, the more natural the better. Fresh fruit instead of canned fruit, whole wheat bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, honey instead of sugar, etc. What should we not eat? animal and animal products and sugar. Dairy products, sugar and meat cause most hot flashes (3).
Exercise is also important, especially during menopause; outside work in the yard or garden, walking, bicycling or swimming but no running or jogging.
Sunbathing is another way to help lessen the symptoms of menopause. When sunlight strikes the skin, it produces sex hormones in the skin itself. Sunlight elevates the human-female hormones (4).
Avoid stressful situations as much as possible. Stress can be reduced greatly by daily exercise and sunbathing and taking your problems to God in prayer.
WHAT ABOUT TAKING ESTROGEN?
No, no, no, no, estrogen injections or tablets are NOT NATURAL Estrogen is made from the urine of a pregnant horse! Premarin is a common estrogen tablet taken during menopause. This drug, premarin, is listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference and has over two pages of information written on it. Listed below is some of this information. Warning: "Estrogens have been reported to increase the risk of Endometrial Carcinoma in post menopausal women." Estrogens should not be used during pregnancy. Estrogens can cause breast cancer, gal bladder disease, fluid retention, uterine bleeding, uterine fibroids, impaired liver function, vaginal candidiasis, breast tenderness or enlargement, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloating, headaches, mental depression, spotty darkening of the skin, particularly on the face, etc. These are some of the side effects of Premarin listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference. Of course not everyone who takes Premarin will have all these side effects.
HERBS TO TAKE FOR MENOPAUSE
Herbs are God's medicine for sickness. wild yam root, black cohosh and red raspberry are just three of the many herbs that are good for menopause. My favorite, and the one I think works best is wild yam root. The best way to take any herb is in tea form. Capsules and tinctures are not as effective. With wild yam root you would use 1 1/2 teaspoons per 8 oz. cup. Boil for 10 minutes, then let steep 20 minutes, strain and drink. Most teas you do not boil, but the exception is when you are using the root. Best time to drink the tea is right before bed on an empty stomach. Drink one cup daily. You should be able to buy any of these herbs in any good health food store.
(1) British Medical Journal 90;301:904-6
(2) Otsch Apoth Ztg 77; 1 1 7(4-1 ): 1 672-9
(3) Balch J.F. MD & Balch PA C.N.C. "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" pg 241, 1990
(4) Kime Zane R. M.D., "Sunlight Could Save Your Life" pg 21 6, 1980