Hormone replacement therapy is a controversial topic, with women and their health care providers aiming to derive the cardivascular, bone strenghtening and other health benefits of estrogen while minimizing the risks of prolonged estrogen exposure. A plant-based program of phytoestrogenic foods and herbs forms a sound basis for charting a successful course through the menopause years and beyond.
Phytoestrogenic Foods
The group of plant phytoestrogens is divided into four categories; isoflavones, flavones, coumestans and lignans, according to the website DietaryFiberFood.com. While soy is famous and widely used for its isoflavones, many plant foods contain phytoestrogenic compounds from all four categories. As an example, flax seed, which has estrogenic properties and contains high amounts of lignins, exceeds soy for total phytoestrogen content. A list of these phytoestrogenic foods reads like a reminder of healthy eating and includes whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, beans, green leafy vegetables and fruits. The best diet for managing menopause symptoms contains a variety of these plants.
Phytoestrogenic Herbs
A variety of medicinal herbs from both Asian and Western traditions have been used to help women through the stages of menopause. According to the Feminist Women's Health Center, herbs including black cohosh, wild yam, dong quai, black current and chasteberry should be used judiciously and for relatively short lengths of time--weeks or months, as opposed to years of continuous use. Women who no longer have their ovaries should be particularly conscious to avoid over-use of phytoestrogenic medicinal herbs.
Cautions
Food sources of phytoestrogens contain certain additional factors that alter the phytoestrogen components, minimizing any harm that might occur from excessive hormone exposure. Herbal and food extracts do not contain those additional factors and can potentially lead to hormonal effects similar to the risks associated with conventional hormone replacement therapy.
Misconceptions
Some of the terminology associated with hormone replacement therapy can be misleading. Manufacturers may rightfully claim a product to be natural or plant based, yet it might not contain a bioidentical hormone--containing the same structure as human hormone. On a similar note, wild yam is an herb that is associated with progesterone, but the progesterone in many wild yam products is not the natural hormone women may think they are using, according to the website SixWise.com. The compound in wild yam cannot be converted into progesterone in the human body. Rather, progesterone is made commercially from wild yam, in a laboratory process.
Side Effects
A study published in the September 2008 issue of "Food and Chemical Toxicology" found that wild yam caused kidney fibrosis and liver inflammation in rats in a treatment period of 28 days. The authors caution that this herb should not be used for long periods and should be avoided by those with compromised renal function. Other, usually more minor side effects, such as digestive upset, headaches or allergic reactions may occur with other herbs used for hormone replacement therapy and appropriate guidance from a qualified health professional is advisable before starting a plant based hormone replacement program.
References
- Dietary Fiber Food: Phytoestrogen and Its Food Sources
- Feminist Women's Health Center: Phytoestrogens - Friends or Foes?
- Six Wise: Wild Yam: Why it's NOT Recommended for Progesterone but Does Provide Eight Other Health Benefits
- National Institutes of Health: Dioscorea villosa (wild yam) induces chronic kidney injury via pro-fibrotic pathways.
