Photo courtesy of Weil Lifestyle
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Dr. Debunker
The Burning Truth About Menopause Treatments
By Andrew Weil, M.D., July & August 2008
Ones that work—and ones that miss the mark
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Q: I see so many remedies for hot flashes. Do any of them work?
A: Very few. The only sure one is hormone replacement therapy, but news of its dangers—increased risk of cancer, for one—has curtailed its use in recent years (62 million U.S. Rxs for hormone replacement drugs in 2000 versus 18 million U.S. Rxs for the same drugs in 2005).
Herbal products claim to treat symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, insomnia, depression, low libido, and slow loss of bone density. Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence to support these claims.
For example, soy isoflavones are prominent in many of these products. Isoflavones are compounds that have weak estrogenic activity. Including whole soy foods in the diet may be beneficial, but we know little about the efficacy or even the safety of ingesting isolated soy isoflavones.
Another source of isoflavones often touted for hot-flash relief is red clover. But people do not eat red clover as food, so we have no population studies on it. I would avoid all isoflavone products.
An additional nonstarter is wild yam, a tuber that is unrelated to the yams on your holiday table. Save your money. The same goes for ginseng, licorice, gotu kola, Saint John’s wort, and high doses of vitamin E.
One remedy that has evidence of easing menopausal symptoms is black cohosh, a plant native to the United States and available in capsules. I often recommend it. I also recommend flaxseed, which contains lignans—estrogenlike compounds. Buy whole seeds, grind them in a coffee grinder you use only for flax, and sprinkle one to two tablespoons daily on food. I do not recommend flaxseed oil. It usually lacks lignans and goes rancid quickly.
To ease the passage through menopause, maintain a healthy diet—with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids—along with regular physical activity and stress-reducing practices such as yoga or controlled breathing. Many women also benefit from traditional Chinese medicine. Most of the natural menopause remedies you see are not going to do much for you.
A pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Andrew Weil, M.D., is a bestselling author and the editorial director of www.drweil.com.
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