For most women, menopause, the cessation of menstrual periods, occurs at age 50 or 51, but a small percentage of women experience premature menopause, the cessation of menstrual periods before age 40. A condition called premature ovarian failure, often abbreviated to POF, is similar to premature menopause, except that women with POF may have sporadic periods for a number of years. Around 1 percent of women experience POF; the average age for POF is 27, MayoClinic.com reports. In both premature menopause and POF, estrogen supplements may be prescribed until a woman reaches a normal menopausal age.
Prescription Estrogen
Prescription estrogen supplements can be prescribed alone in pill or patch form or in combination with progesterone. The advantage of the combination pill is that a menstrual period occurs once a month or every few months, depending on how the pills are taken. The withdrawal of progesterone induces a period. This keeps the uterine lining from becoming too thick. A constantly thickening uterine lining is a risk factor for developing uterine cancer. Birth control pills contain both estrogen and progesterone in differing combinations.
While older women are advised not to take estrogen supplements due to the risk of increased heart disease and breast cancer, women who experience premature menopause don't appear to have the same risk until the normal menopausal age. Low estrogen levels can cause bone weakening and osteoporosis; the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, outweigh the risks in young women, MayoClinic.com advises.
Foods
Some women try to raise estrogen levels by eating foods high in phytoestrogens, estrogens from plant sources. Foods high in phytoestrogens include isoflavenoids such as soybeans and other legumes; lignans such as flaxseed and coumestans such as alfalfa and clover sprouts. A number of other beans also contain large amounts of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens act like estrogen at lower doses but block estrogen at higher doses, Cornell University's Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research reports. Studies on phytoestrogen's potential effects on developing breast cancer found that consuming phytoestrogens in large quantities may actually decrease estrogen levels, the Sprecher Institute states.
Over-the Counter Supplements
Over-the-counter estrogen creams and pills made from soybeans do not contain enough estrogen to prevent menopausal symptoms or protect younger women from the effects of low estrogen levels, radio personality and columnist Gabe Mirkin, M.D. warns. Supplements from phytoestrogens such as soybeans do not raise blood estrogen levels or have any of the typical effects of estrogen on vaginal tissue. Estrogen supplements also aren't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and may not be safe, in all cases. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that there's no proof that supplements reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
References
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:Frequently Asked Questions About Hormone Therapy
- MayoClinic.com: Premature Ovarian Failur
- MayoClinic.com:Managing Early-Onset Menopause
- Dr. Mirkin: Over-the Counter Estrogens Not For Menopause
- Cornell University Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research: Phytoestrogens
