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A Question of Balance

Menopause results from changes in the ovaries and in glands that produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control the menstrual cycle. If communication between all the organs and glands involved in the production of these two hormones fails, too much estrogen or progesterone may be produced. This generally results in too much estrogen relative to progesterone — a condition now known as estrogen dominance.

John R. Lee, M.D., author of "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause" and "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause," believes that estrogen dominance is prevalent in our industrialized societies due to a number of factors. These include estrogen replacement therapy, the use of birth control pills, and hysterectomies. Other factors may include a diet rich in animal fat, sugar, refined starches, and processed foods, and a lack of exercise. When women consume more calories than they need, hormone production increases, and this may contribute to hormonal imbalance and estrogen dominance.

Finally, we must consider xenoestrogens, which are foreign substances originating outside the body that have estrogenlike activity. Xenoestrogens are generally produced through pesticides and petroleum products. Again, these may contribute to hormonal imbalance.

Estrogen dominance manifests itself in many ways, including the absence of periods, a long menstrual cycle, frequent or heavy periods, painful periods, PMS, hot flashes, mood swings, and more. Dr. Lee also notes that estrogen dominance may be linked to the acceleration of the aging process, allergies, breast tenderness, decreased sex drive, depression, fatigue, fibrocystic breasts, headaches, irritability, memory loss, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and uterine fibroids, and water retention.

Synthetic Hormone Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was developed in the 1960s to treat symptoms of menopause, but doctors have since prescribed HRT to relieve depression, cardiovascular disease, and bone loss, as well as a myriad of other conditions. In the United States and Canada, most women use one or two main types of hormone therapy-combined estrogen and progestin or estrogen only.

In 2001, due to serious health concerns, the Women's Health Initiative, an eight-year study commissioned to determine if HRT is beneficial to healthy women, was halted after five years and two months. This study involved 16,608 healthy postmenopausal women (no periods for 12 months). The women received eqine estrogen with synthetic progestin. It was concluded that the study posted significant health risks to women that exceeded the benefits. The results from the study indicate a 111 percent increased risk of blood clots, a 41 percent increased risk of stroke, a 29 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease, and a 26 percent increased risk of breast cancer.

One of the interesting facts that researchers have noticed is that women in Asian countries – who consume large amounts of soy products – appear to have problem-free menopause and less incidences of breast cancer. Many researchers attribute this to their intake of soy products.

Soy isoflavones are also linked to a decreased incidence of breast cancer. This is because breast cancer is considered a hormone-dependent cancer: estrogen binds to altered cells, causing them to grow and multiply. The weak phytoestrogens compete with estrogen for these cells, and when they bind to the cell, they replace the estrogen but are not strong enough to trigger growth.

Soy isoflavones may also help maintain healthy bones. This is because most professionals note that it is not calcium intake that is as important as calcium excretion. When animal protein is replaced by soy protein, or other vegetable proteins, in the diet, there is less calcium excretion. Another factor is that two of the isoflavones found in soy – daidzein and genistein – may inhibit bone resorption, which is the loss of bone tissue.

		At the turn of the century, the average life expectancy for women was 51. Today, a woman's life expectancy has increased dramatically to 93. That menas she can expect to live nearly a third of her life after menopause. A positive attitude about this change eases the transition and helps the body weather almost any challenge.
Despite an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis or a family history of difficult menopause, women can – by utilizing natural healing strategies – defy genetics and enjoy a vital, strong, productive new beginning in this stage of their life.
If you are a perimenopausal or menopausal woman, make the right choice for your physical and emotional health, as well as peace of mind. Choose the natural way for optimal health during your transitional years.