Different women go through different things during menopause. Some women may not have either hot flashes or mood swings; some may have both. This begins in the premenopausal and postmenopausal stages. The intensity differs from woman to woman. However, about 7 to 9 percent of the women have menopause symptoms that are severe enough to interfere with their quality of life.
Past Approaches to Treat This
In the past, estrogen-related hormones were used for the treatment of these symptoms. Also, estrogen plus progestin was used for the treatment of symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes, which cause the most uneasiness in women during this time. Even though these two therapies are effective in treating the symptoms, they are not being used right now. This is because, according to the Women’s Health Initiative or WHI, these therapies have the risk of blood clots, stroke, breast cancer, and heart disease.
Progesterone for Menopause
As you might have already guessed, because of the side effects associated with the former therapies, researchers tried progesterone for menopause. Estrogen, often, if taken without progesterone increases the risk of hormone-related cancer and other diseases. But is there a progesterone only therapy? Research suggests there is.
It must be noted that progesterone is a hormone found within the body naturally. Progestin on the other hand, is a hormone produced synthetically.
So How Does Progesterone Work Actually?
According to Hitchcock, a researcher from the University of British Columbia, this is a bit of a mystery. It is believed that in one way, it actually widens the temperature of the body to make it feel comfortable. This is supposedly how it helps in alleviating the symptoms of hot flashes during the menopause.
Another study suggests that progesterone also acts as a tranquilizer; therefore, it is given to women before bedtime. This can also help them in getting a good night’s sleep. Since the hot flashes are controlled, the night sweats are also under control because of this effect.
Progesterone for Menopause: Food to Have
Some of the foods that will give you a good amount of progesterone are herbs like oregano, thyme, etc. Another very effective herb is Chasteberry, also known as Vitex. It is known to balance hormone levels throughout your system. It is reported that this herb kills the libido in women, but it is worth a try since it has drastic effects.
Another thing you must do is de-stress – chances are that if you are always taking too much stress, you have a lot of cortisol in your system. Cortisol production compensates the progesterone production in your body. Therefore, it reduces its effectiveness. This is why you will have to make sure that you relax, especially when you are going through menopause.
Corpus luteum is a big-time progesterone producer. It is induced by eating a lot of Vitamin B6. Therefore, make sure that you consume a lot of food that contains vitamin B6. Also, make sure you eat a lot of Vitamin C; it has the same effect.
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