Hormone replacement therapy is used to treat menopause symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. The ovaries shut down and the menstrual cycle ceases during menopause. Hormone replacement therapy was used to prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease. This changed after the Women's Health Initiative study was published in 2000, which reported that hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer. Consequently, women began looking for alternatives to hormone replacement therapy.
Lifestyle Modifications
Modifications in diet and exercise is the first step in treating menopause symptoms. Avoid spicy foods, hot drinks, stress, caffeine, and alcohol to prevent triggering hot flashes. Maintain a healthy weight, because overweight women experience more hot flashes. Do not smoke cigarettes because cigarette smoking increases the frequency of hot flashes.
Soy
Soy is a plant source of phytoestrogen, which acts similarly to estrogen in the body. Consuming soy foods or taking a soy supplement, improves hot flashes. Available evidence supporting the use of soy is mixed and women with breast cancer, or a history of breast cancer, should avoid large intake of soy because of an increased risk of breast cancer.
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh is an herbal supplement with little estrogen-like effects and data supporting its effectiveness for hot flashes is mixed. Long-term use of black cohosh is questionable as some women have developed liver damage. Women taking black cohosh should have a doctor periodically perform liver function tests. Non-commercial products should be avoided due to inconsistency with quality.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a common source of the Omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and phytoestrogens. Flaxseed reduces mild menopause symptoms if ingested on a daily basis. Because flaxseed is a fat and high in calories, it must be used in the place of unhealthy fats. Incorporate flaxseed into the diet by adding flaxseed meal to a smoothie or drizzling flaxseed oil on a salad.
