Menopause: Menopause and climacteric

It is the vital stage for women during which they stop having their menstrual periods. It usually occurs around the age of 45 and leads to a decrease in the production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Menopause is considered to have arrived when there has been no menstruation for one year, a condition referred to as one year of amenorrhea

The correct term for the changes that occur before, during, and after menopause is climacterium. However, since the term menopause is more widely known, I will refer to it this way.

Symptoms of menopause

They vary from woman to woman and can last five years or more. One of the first signs that a woman is entering menopause is changes in the frequency of her periods, a phase known as pre-menopause or perimenopause.

Some of the symptoms that may appear are:

• Reduction in concentration (forgetfulness), energy, self-esteem.
• Less frequent menstrual periods that eventually stop.
• Headaches.
• Emotional weakness (stress, anxiety, sadness, …).
• Hair loss.
• Excessive hair growth (Hirsutism).
• Fatigue.
• Night sweats.
• Peripheral circulation problems.
• Cataracts.
• Glaucoma.
• Low vision.
• Mood changes including irritability, depression and anxiety. [6]
• Hot flushes, usually more intense during the first 1 to 2 years
• Decreased sexual interest or changes in sexual response
• Reddening of the skin
• Weight gain and/or fluid retention.
• Dyspnea.
• Leaking of urine.
• Articular pains.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Irregular heartbeat (palpitations).
• Strong or accelerated heartbeats.
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual relations.

Furthermore

To confirm that the symptoms are due to menopause, urine and blood tests (estradiol, FSH, and LH) can help determine more precisely whether you are approaching menopause or if it has already occurred.

These symptoms are mainly caused by a decrease in the production of ovarian estrogens. However, the body will attempt to rebalance itself by increasing production through other pathways, such as the adrenals, skin, liver, brain, and muscles (mostly adrenal), which will compensate for ovarian function and begin producing estrogens in adequate physiological amounts. This period of adaptation can last several years and therefore the symptomatology can persist until the body has regulated itself.

Hormonal variation during this stage can also lead to an increase in cholesterol (LDL) and an increased risk of osteoporosis. In some cases, poorly regulated estrogen levels can lead to breast cancer.

Ways to alleviate symptoms and help the body restructure

Medically, there are hormonal treatments, but before exposing yourself to the associated risks, I recommend opting for more natural and body-friendly alternatives. Among the risks of these therapies are: breast cancer, dementia, ovarian cancer, vaginal bleeding, urinary incontinence, cardiovascular disease, … [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29]

I recommend opting for phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens compete for the cytoplasmic receptors of 17-B-estradiol, act on the enzymatic functions involved in the regulation of steroids and prostaglandins. [7]
Improving the estrogenic health in a natural way we will regulate all the symptoms derived from menopause, reducing the hot flushes, cholesterol, risk of osteoporosis, … And we will avoid the possible damages derived from the hormonal treatment or from drugs.

To avoid

Caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, sweetened products, carbonated drinks (with gas), meat derivatives, excessive salt, solanaceous vegetables (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants).

Recommended foods

Fermented soy (tempeh, miso, …), bone broth, green cabbage, crushed seeds (sesame and flax), berries, green banana, seaweed, sprouts (red clover, alfalfa), soy sauce in small quantities or low salt content, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, …), grape skins and seeds (especially if cognitive symptoms are present), kuzu (Pueraria Lobata type), rhubarb, celery, brussels sprouts, apple. [3], [5], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]

It is advisable to combine foods from the list above with some of the following: yam, chasteberry, rhubarb, hops. [3], [12]

And moreover…

Foods rich in healthy fats: avocado, fresh blue fish (anchovy, sardine, mackerel), extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin linseed oil They help to promote the synthesis of S-Equol which is a metabolite that enhances the effects of phytoestrogens.

Foods rich in resistant starch: legumes (such as azukis), green banana, potatoes (less recommended), sweet potatoes, brown rice, gluten-free oats. These foods are rich in starch, but if we cook them and then let them cool down we transform the starch they contain into digestible starch.

Specific food for sweating and hot flushes: Cimicifuga Racemosa, kuzu, liquorice, cava, saffron, yam, red clover. [3], [12], [16]

Important: these foods should be incorporated into the diet, the diet should never be based only on these foods and neither should they be abused.

Activities: Kegel exercises, slow and deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, meditation, strength exercises, steps, going up or down stairs, jogging, sunbathing (very important because of the vitamin D), …

Some plants: Sage, Hawthorn and Balm. They are indicated in the form of decoction before meals and while fasting in the morning.

Additional tips: wear light clothing and few layers, use lubricants during sex, use acupuncture as an adjuvant, and stay sexually active.

What if with these changes I don’t get enough improvements?

We also have

Appropriate supplements when cognitive symptoms appear due to climacteric: Soy Isoflavones and Ginkgo Biloba. [4]

Supplementation with natural phytoestrogens such as isoflavones (protection against osteoporosis, hot flashes, and hypertension). [8], [9], [10]

Probiotics containing lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and fructooligosaccharides (FOS).

Depending on the situation, other supplements such as vitamin D, calcium, vitamin K, omega-3, turmeric, trace elements, iron, …

If no improvement is achieved, it should be assessed whether there are pathologies that interact with enzymes, hormone levels, absorption, … For example: deficit of aromatase production, thyroid diseases, pituitary, metabolic diseases, gonadales, diabetes, obesity, …

Links of interest

1-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381290/

2-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

3-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3800090/

4-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21237589

5-https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/136/5/1270/4669984

6-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/

7-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2254331/

8-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4525046/

9-https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/biof.5520220145

10-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20464785

11-https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00394-012-0331-7

12-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4029542/

13-http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/9/8/773.long

14-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340720/

15-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5462345/

16-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4678495/

17-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5783135/

18-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295071/

19-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808879/

20-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4243716/

21-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5758942/

22-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3127562/

23-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6390656/

24-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18299491

25-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12771112

26-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20959578

27-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15213206

28-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12117397

29-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14519708