In recent years, many women have been turning to alternative medicines and natural treatments instead of traditional medicine to manage their menopause symptoms. Natural treatments are more popular due to the fact that they carry little or no risk and are typically inexpensive.
With all of the bothersome symptoms that menopause can bring, a natural treatment for menopause symptoms is often a lifeline for women who feel frustrated. Keep reading to find out more about the different types of natural treatments for menopause.
What Types of Natural Treatments Are Available?
Natural treatments range from over-the-counter supplements and herbal medicines to complementary therapies such as homeopathy and aromatherapy. Herbal remedies are the primary type of alternative treatment for menopause symptoms and it is common to combine these with techniques such as acupuncture, massage, and homeopathy. However, despite their value, techniques such as these require more time and money.
The two principal types of herbal remedies that can be used as treatment for menopause symptoms are phytoestrogenic and hormone-regulating supplements. Phytoestrogenic supplements include black cohosh, ginseng, soy, red clove, and dong quai.
How Do Natural Treatments Work?
Phytoestrogenic supplements
They are used as a natural treatment for menopause symptoms and contain estrogenic components produced by plants. Initially, they work by addressing the hormonal imbalance that causes troublesome menopause symptoms by adding plant-based estrogens into the body to restore hormonal balance. However, this can result in the body becoming less capable of producing estrogen on its own.
Hormone-regulating supplements
This type doesn't contain any estrogen, and instead nourishes the pituitary and endocrine glands, causing them to produce natural hormones more efficiently. This results in balancing not only estrogen, but other important hormones like progesterone. These supplements can be considered the safest treatment for menopause symptoms, because the body creates its own hormones and doesn't require any outside help.
Why Are Natural Treatments So Popular?
Natural treatments are the leading source of relief for menopausal women, because they involve little to no risk and are a great viable option to treat the hormonal imbalance that occurs during menopause directly at its source. Due to the fact that traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease, more women are looking into alternative or natural options.
Natural treatments for menopause symptoms are the most successful when combined with a healthy lifestyle. This involves a more nutritious and balanced diet and regular exercise.
Sources
- BMJ Group. "Menopause: What is it?" Patient Leaflet. 2007.
- Hopkins, Virginia. Lee, John R. M.D. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. New York: Warner Books Inc., 1996.
- Love, Susan M.D. Menopause and Hormone Book. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003.
- Martin, Raquel. The Estrogen Alternative. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2000.