Natural Ingredients Address Menopausal Symptoms (Women on the Verge: Ingredients to Ease Menopause Changes)

When a society regards youth as virile, healthy and beautiful, it is natural, then, that the quest for staying forever young is rampant. From anti-aging beauty products, anti-wrinkle quick fixes, cosmetic surgery that takes “years off the face,” to a general shunning or even denial of the changes, aches and pains old age delivers, it is no surprise the thought of growing old is draped with hesitation and dread. As Roman philosopher Cicero put it: “As I give thought to the matter, I find four causes for the apparent misery of old age: first, it withdraws us from active accomplishments; second, it renders the body less powerful; third, it deprives us of almost all forms of enjoyment; fourth, it stands not far from death.”

For women, age brings with it an increased risk for chronic diseases, as well as the end of the fertile phase of life and the shutting down of the reproductive system. According to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), “Menopause is a natural biologic event, not a disease or an estrogen deficiency disease. ... Menopause is a psychosocial passage.”

The term menopause comes from the Greek words “month” and “cessation” and refers to a woman’s last menstrual period. Usually this occurs when the ovaries no longer make enough estrogen to produce and support a menstrual cycle; but, other reasons can induce menopause such as medical intervention, surgical removal of both ovaries or cancer treatments. Natural menopause kicks in around the age of 52, although women can experience it between the ages of 40 and 55 years. Premature menopause occurs in women less than 40 years old; perimenopause is the time during or around menopause (usually during a woman’s 40s and sometimes in her later 30s), when the symptoms most associated with menopause occur. During this time, estrogen levels are erratic; they can become highly elevated or stoop as low as 10 percent of normal reproductive highs. Simultaneous life stresses associated with midlife and the effects of aging can also increase the amount of distress menopause changes can cause.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, an unprecedented number of women have become postmenopausal; an estimated 6,000 U.S. women reach menopause every day (more than 2 million per year, NAMS noted). Every woman is affected by menopause differently, both physically and mentally. One woman may consider it a “medical condition” or a negative sign of old age; another may view the change as a natural process that requires no medical intervention and is a liberating period that ends the concern of pregnancy and anxiety about menstruation. Women who experience induced menopause usually have a greater need for treatment to control the associated symptoms than women who undergo natural menopause. Many women who have natural menopause report no physical changes during the perimenopausal years except irregular menstrual periods, which eventually end when menopause is reached. Other women experience hot flashes, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, mood changes and other discomforts. Associated health-related risks include osteoporosis and a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Lifestyle changes, such as exercise, diet modification, weight management and not smoking, can help reduce menopause-related discomforts. In tandem with a healthy lifestyle, dietary supplements and alternative therapies are increasingly being used to relieve symptoms associated with menopause, especially since studies have raised concerns regarding the safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). In a national study of 4,975 women aged 35 to 64 years old, regarding their attitudes toward menopause and concerns about the menopause experience, 71 percent said they experienced at least one menopause symptom. The most common was hot flashes (84 percent), followed by mood swings (53 percent) and night sweats (52 percent).¹ About 40 percent of respondents felt comfortable choosing over-the-counter (OTC) or herbal remedies to treat their menopause discomforts; soy products (41 percent) and vitamin E were the most commonly discussed and tried products. The most important factor for choosing a treatment: safety (54 percent), symptom relief (39 percent) and few side effects (29 percent).

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