During menopause, women experience a loss of estrogen, which can lead to a number of symptoms including weight gain and hot flashes. Yet, scientific studies show that certain nutrients can help balance hormones and reduce some of the symptoms associated with menopause. Consult your doctor before trying to prevent, treat or cure any condition with nutritional supplements.
Soy
Soy may help improve some of the symptoms related to menopause. Soy contains isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens, or compounds that mimic estrogen in the body. A soy supplement containing 90mg of soy isoflavones for 16 weeks reduced hot flashes and muscle pain in a group of post-menopausal women, which was reported in a study published in 2010 in "Maturitas." It also improved vaginal dryness.
Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is a registered name for the extract of the French maritime pine tree. Pycnogenol may help improve menopause-related symptoms. A study published in August 2007 in "Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica" found that pycnogenol supplementation improved climacteric syndrome in 155 peri-menopausal women. Climacteric syndrome refers to a cluster of symptoms including hot flashes, fat redistribution, hormonal changes and a reduction of skin elasticity.
Selenium
Menopause is associated with a negative impact on cholesterol levels. Postmenopausal women may benefit from selenium supplementation. A study published in 2009 in "Menopause International" found that selenium supplementation reduced LDL, or the "bad" cholesterol in a study of 104 overweight and obese menopausal women. Selenium is a micronutrient that is required for survival, yet too much can be toxic.
Wheat
Wheat may help improve the symptoms of menopause. A twelve-week supplementation with wheat flour lead to a 25 percent reduction of hot flashes, according to the findings of a study published in September 2008 in "Maturitas." Wheat flour contains enterolactones, which is a plant chemical that weakly mimics the activity of estrogen.
References
- Refdoc.fr: The Effect of Dietary Soy Supplementation Compared to Estrogen and Placebo on Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial: 2010: Lucio O. Carmignali, Adriana Orcesi Pedro, Lucia H. Costa-Paiva, et al.: 2010
- "Wiley Online Library": A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial on the Effect of Pycnogenol® on the Climacteric Syndrome in Peri-Menopausal Women: Han-Ming Yan, Mei-Fen Liao, Shu-Yuan Zhu, et al.: August 2007
- "The Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited": Selenium and health-related quality of life in menopausal women: Placido Llaneza, Celestino González , José Fernandez-Iñarrea, et al.: 2009
- "Maturitas": "Reprint of" Dietary Flour Supplementation Decreases Post-Menopausal Hot Flushes: Effect of Soy and Wheat: A.L. Murkies, C. Lombard, B.J.G. Strauss, et al.: September 2008
