My journey began when I was forty-five. I was going through what we now know as perimenopause. I was experiencing many symptoms that I didn’t even realize were hormonally related. I had anxiety attacks in the middle of the night. I found that my mood swings were all over the place. I was fatigued a great deal of the time. My libido was really low, and I just found generally I didn’t feel well. I noticed little dark hairs starting to appear on my chin. It wasn’t until the night sweats arrived on the scene, which was occurring every night, I would wake up drenched. This really got my attention that something had to be done. As I began to investigate what were my choices and what was really going on I found myself exploring the world of hormones. This experience of perimenopause and the imbalance, which I have now realized was the result of many years of stress and poor diet, but it all culminated in this condition. Through the need to get to the bottom of this and through the need to find my health again I discovered a world of such deception and misinformation and propaganda relating to women and their hormones that it absolutely infuriated me.
So as I began to do my homework and investigate and read the medical journals and talk to experts around the world I uncovered the tremendous number of myths that are influencing women’s choices these days. The number one myth is the fact that women’s ovaries do not dry up and do not cease functioning. There is a prevailing belief out there that female bodies are dangerous, disease producing, and basically our hormones deteriorate and we become susceptible to all sorts of aging diseases and imbalances. This is not the case. In fact what happens at menopause is an amazing transformation. For years women in this country have been convinced that menopause is a downhill slide. We’ve been told that our ovaries fail. We cease to make estrogen and basically we are at greater risk of heart disease and osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s and wrinkling, which is a very horrifying picture and it’s driven us into the arms of the doctors and the medical profession who told us that we could be rescued through using synthetic hormones.
The very basis for understanding menopause as defined by the medical model is actually based on error. Nature endowed women with this divine intelligence to allow her body to remain healthy and vital and fit and functioning all the days of her life. Menopause is in fact not the end of her life. It’s actually the beginning of a stage of her life cycle where she actually can step into the greater sense of power, inner authority, creativity, and spiritual attunement, which is what has been known from many traditional cultures throughout time.
—Dr. Sherrill Sellman
Menopause marks the end of the female reproductive cycle, which typically occurs between the ages of forty-five and fifty but can happen anywhere from forty to sixty, or even earlier as a result of surgery, illness, or lifestyle. It is said to begin when a woman goes through one complete year without a period. The stage before menopause, called perimenopause, may last as long as ten years.
Menopause is not a disorder but rather a natural biomolecular process, a normal stage of life. We have a belief in this country that after menopause you’re more apt to get breast cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and other chronic degenerative diseases. But those things are not inevitable; they are all choices. It’s true that after menopause they increase in incidence, but it is not because of menopause per se. It is about the fact that your body will no longer let you get away with the adverse lifestyle choices you’ve been making for decades. Armed with the right knowledge, menopause can be a time to flourish and be healthier, happier, and more positive than ever.
“The perimenopause is a crossroads,” says Dr. Christiane Northrup, a boardcertified obstetrician-gynecologist and pioneer in women’s health and wellness. “One road says, ‘Grow’. The other says, ‘Die.’ It is completely a choice. Are you going to continue doing the same old things that led you to where you are now? Or are you going to wake up and use your own power to truly flourish and move into what are the best years of your life?”
As Dr. Sherrill Sellman, naturopath, psychotherapist, and author of bestselling book Hormone Heresy, points out, many doctors and women alike harbor misconceptions about the nature and effects of menopause. Yet in cultures where menopause is less feared, symptoms are virtually nonexistent, and in fact menopause is anticipated as a rite of passage into a stronger, wiser time of life.
Menopause is a transition that manifests uniquely in each person. Nonetheless, there are a few common symptoms observed among perimenopausal women. One of the first changes is in the frequency of the menstrual cycle. The time between cycles may increase or decrease, or they may skip a month. Usually blood flow is reduced, but women may also experience heavy, irregular bleeding. Other common symptoms associated with menopause are hot flashes, dry skin, mood swings, depression, irritability, vaginal dryness, night sweats, bladder infection, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.
“Many changes appear in perimenopausal women, but the negative ones usually arise from stress, bad diet, pharmaceutical drugs, exhausted adrenal glands, and other things—not from lowered estrogen levels,” says Dr. Sellman. “I believe, based on my own experience, that the symptoms of menopause—and also those of PMS, which are produced by the same imbalances—are really the result of poor health. When we can correct these imbalances, our hormones automatically go back into balance and we receive all the benefits. Women need to understand that a healthy liver, a healthy digestive system, a healthy adrenal system, and getting the colon working are the factors that contribute to healthy hormone production.”
Among the factors that play a role in the timing and characteristics of menopause are genetics and overall health. Environmental influences also may be involved. Recent research has shown that exposure to certain chemicals is linked to early menopause. In a 2015 article published in the journal PLoS One, women with high levels of chemicals in the body from plastics, household products, personal care items, food, and the environment experienced menopause two to four years earlier than women with lower levels. Already associated with cancer, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, early puberty, and infertility, these endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were found to interfere with hormone activity.
Estrogen dominance can be caused by hormone replacement therapy, the Pill, and even the hormones found in nonorganic foods. For example, most cattle are fattened with growth hormones, which we then ingest. Hormones can also be found in dairy products and nonorganic produce. Pesticides and herbicides are estrogen mimickers. They compromise liver function due to the toxins or other physical dysfunction, and they can increase estrogen levels.
The increase in estrogen in the environment is rapidly being acknowledged as a serious health problem affecting not only menopausal women but also men and younger women, and even children. People living in Western societies are now being flooded with a tidal wave of estrogen mimics. Even going into a health food store and having a glass of vegetable juice or buying the vegetables and making juice yourself can be cause for concern: if the vegetables are not organic, you’re bringing in a concentrated amount of pesticides.
Among the problems associated with too much estrogen are weight gain, breast tenderness, mood disorders, brain fog, fibroids, endometriosis, and hypothyroidism. “The symptoms of too much estrogen out of balance with progesterone includes the gaining of weight, particularly on the abdomen, hips, and thighs, because the nature of estrogen is to turn food into fat,” Dr. Sellman explains. “This happens to the animals in the feedlots. It also happens to us. As long as we have this imbalanced relationship we will continue to put weight on no matter how much we try to diet or exercise.
“Lumpy fibrocystic breasts are stimulated by high estrogen levels. Depression, mood swings, rage, anger are all caused by estrogen excess, as is food retention, bloating, fatigue, and headaches. Those migraine headaches that happen before your period or when your hormone levels are out of balance are all related to high estrogen levels. High estrogen also decreases sex drive, which is a major problem for women. It’s not about menopause. It’s really about these imbalances.”
The liver is also affected by estrogen. “That’s a problem that is not totally understood by medical doctors,” Dr. Sellman says. “When we have compromised liver function, we cannot properly metabolize estrogen safely out of the body. So what happens with high levels of toxicity that overwhelm the liver is that the liver then metabolizes estrogen down a pathway that turns it into a more toxic form of estrogen. It then gets reabsorbed back into the body, putting women at risk of hormone dependent cancers like breast cancer.”
Many women going through menopause experience anxiety, depression, or other types of mental difficulties, including mood swings, clouded thought, and increased irritability. There is a variety of potential causes of these symptoms. First, the hormonal changes that occur during menopause may have some effect. In addition, other menopausal symptoms—such as difficulty sleeping or vaginal dryness—may contribute to overall stress levels, leading to mental difficulties. Cultural expectations and perceptions of menopause may also play a role in provoking anxiety and stress during the perimenopausal years.
It is well known that there are cultures that do not associate the cessation of menstruation with negative consequences. Dr. Sellman explains, “The Japanese, for example, don’t have a word for menopause or hot flashes. They look at it as just a transition period, but not one with a significant effect on a woman’s life. So the symptoms we are told are inevitable, that all women must endure, are actually symptoms of imbalance. I’ve found that to be true in my own case. When I notice symptoms appearing, such as night sweats or cramp or fatigue, I get immediate relief when I work with natural healing methods.”
Dr. Linda Ojeda, author of Menopause Without Medicine, says many women see menopause as the beginning of the end. “They believe that life is going to be downhill from this point on. They no longer think of themselves as youthful, as able to contribute to society. They fear that their behavior will become erratic, hysterical, and out of control. This is not true. When we reach fifty, we do not turn into raging maniacs, and we are not more susceptible to clinical depression. In some women, how-ever, lowered levels of estrogen, endorphins, and serotonin, substances that affect mood, can create mood swings. Levels can be raised naturally in these women.
“We know that beliefs and attitudes affect the transition. In Asian countries, symptoms are virtually nonexistent. In these countries, menopause is looked at as an important event in a woman’s life. She now has more prestige and is viewed as a wise, older woman. Women anticipate this time of life with relish. If you are approaching menopause with fear and trepidation, you need to examine your attitude.”
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Janice Stefanacci Steward, society expects menopausal women to lose their sex drive, but this does not have to happen. “Many women fear that they are going to lose their passion and sexuality. Really, only a small portion of women who go through menopause have their sex drive adversely affected. For those women who lose their sexual desire or have difficulty becoming and staying aroused, help is available. But most women do not experience sexual arousal problems, and many report feeling more sexual because the risk of pregnancy is gone.”
Dr. Christiane Northrup tells about her book, The Secret Pleasures of Menopause, which documents that women in their fifties and sixties are having the best sex of their lives. “You don’t hear that because the mainstream culture would lead you to believe that after the age of forty you’re pretty much washed up as a woman, and you’re no longer desirable and that’s the end for you. It is those messages that must be retooled in your brain so that when you hear one you turn off the TV, you stop reading the paper. You turn it around in your head, and you say today is a new day and I have everything I need to create the most pleasurable, fun life as possible from this moment forward.”
To understand our society’s misconceptions about menopause, we must go back at least a half century. “The beginnings of this whole myth that women lose their power and that the ovaries shrivel up and die as a result of menopause actually began in the 1960s,” says Dr. Sellman. “It was the beginning of the era when cheap synthetic artificial hormones were readily available. Up until that point they were very expensive. Then there was this wonderful drug in search of a destiny. The menopausal woman was actually the focus, and it was the work of Dr. Robert Wilson who wrote a book called Feminine Forever, which was published in 1966—based on one study that he conducted over one year. The results of the study convinced him that the saving grace, the way we could keep women young forever, was to give them estrogen. He said in his book the ovaries shrivel up and die as a result of menopause, therefore necessitating the use of estrogen. He also had rather unflattering comments about the menopausal women, calling them the equivalent of a eunuch. So he painted this bleak picture where estrogen was the salvation, and he spawned the industry using estrogen replacement therapy for menopausal women with uteruses.
“As a postscript we need to say that he was discredited by the FDA as a researcher, and he also had received a large sum of money in his trust fund from the three leading manufacturers of estrogen drugs. Up until that time menopause was a psychiatric condition. Women were perceived as having psychological problems, but it wasn’t a medical condition until these drugs became available.”
Despite popular belief, the ovaries do not fail at menopause. Dr. Sellman explains, “We do not cease producing estrogen. At menopause we are going through a transition from our fertility years to our what I call wise women years. The body in its wisdom to conserve energy is reducing the amount of estrogen made by the ovaries by 40 to 60 percent. It’s reduced because we don’t need mature eggs in our menopausal years. So we have this reduction, this adjustment of hormones. We have this adjustment, and we also have a backup system to estrogen because our fat cells can be converted into estrogen. The World Health Organization has actually found through the use of saliva testing that an overweight postmenopausal woman has more estrogen running through her body than a skinny premenopausal woman.
“We have this condition of estrogen being made, in fact high levels of estrogen being made, in menopausal women and we also have a decline of progesterone, which is the other key hormone. Progesterone is made in our premenopausal years when we ovulate . . . We must ovulate to make adequate levels of progesterone. In our menopausal years we’re not ovulating so that is not the source of the progesterone, but our adrenal glands become the primary support for producing progesterone. The fat cells become the primary areas that produce estrogen. So we actually continue to make these hormones.”
Other changes are happening as well. “At menopause, the inner part of the ovary actually gets switched on for the first time in a woman’s life, producing hormones that look after her heart, her blood vessels, her libido, her skin, and sense of wellbeing. This amazing organ the ovary actually is functioning the entire length of our lives and is supporting a woman in her health and well-being through the many, many years of her postmenopausal journey, which really is the prime of much heightened passion and purpose.”
So actually what happens at menopause is not a deficiency in estrogen, but rather an imbalance in the ratio between progesterone (too little) and estrogen (too much). The symptoms of this imbalance, seen most prominently during perimenopause, are hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, insomnia, headaches, loss of muscle tone, fatigue, and depression.
The natural medicine community has known about the dangers of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for decades, but it took until 2002 for conventional doctors to finally take notice. That was when the US government abruptly stopped the hormone trial of the Women’s Health Initiative citing evidence that HRT was not the panacea it was touted to be, and moreover was actually associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and blood clots in many women.
Dr. Sherrill Sellman provides some background on HRT. “In the 1970s,women turned their backs on supplementation with estrogen alone because it had been found to cause endometrial cancer. So the drug companies came up with hormone replacement therapy, which used a combination of estrogen and a synthetic progestin such as Provera. They used a synthetic because natural progesterone, which has no toxic side effects, cannot be patented. To sell HRT to women, who were scared of hormones after the revelations of the 1970s, the companies claimed that HRT reduced the risk of a condition most women were unaware of: osteoporosis. In the early 1990s, a new reason for healthy women to take this powerful carcinogenic steroid was introduced. HRT was said to be a way to protect the heart. So doctors began using HRT, originally supposed to be only a short-term treatment for relief of menopausal symptoms, as a long-term treatment to prevent other conditions, conditions that only might occur. A review of the research, however, even that which was used to back the use of HRT initially, revealed that instead of being beneficial, HRT actually increased the risk of serious complications and even death.
“We’ve been led to believe that hormone replacement therapy, the synthetic version that is found in whatever variety of pills or patches or implants, uses the same hormones that our body makes. The truth of the matter is that they are synthetic drugs, which have been listed by the National Institutes of Health as known human carcinogens.”
According to Dr. Northrup, for the 10 million women still taking synthetic hormone replacement therapy today, synthetic progestin is one of the biggest worries. “For the life of me, I cannot understand why the medical profession still does not understand the difference between the progesterone that your body produces and progestin, which is a completely artificial hormone that your body has never seen before. Dr. Kent Hermsmeyer, at the Oregon Primate Center, has shown that in monkeys that are deprived of estrogen—so they’re perimenopausal monkeys—when you actually give them Provera it will cause reactivity in the coronary arteries leading to heart attack.
“A synthetic progestin will actually cause the coronary arteries in a woman to become hyperreactive and many women when they go through perimenopause have chest pain. They actually have angina because their coronary arteries are not getting the blood flow they need. When you add Provera to that, you’re making it much worse.”
Natural progesterone or natural bioidentical hormone, as opposed to synthetic progestin, is the identical molecule that our bodies make. Although bioidentical hormones are frequently made in the laboratory, such as from soy phytochemicals, they are nevertheless identical to human hormones; therefore the actual biochemistry of the hormones is unchanged.
Natural therapies can make HRT unnecessary. A variety of options are available. Most women can start with lifestyle changes such as modifying the diet, taking herbs and supplements, getting more exercise and rest. Some use bioidentical hormone therapy, but this is not in itself a first line of defense, and its safety and effectiveness remain a matter of debate.
There is a lot of research out there on what we can do with our diets to rebalance hormone, turn off hot flashes, improve skin, hair, and nails, and boost immunity and energy. Scientists at Beth Israel Medical Center discovered a molecule in soy beans that can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes by as much as 50 percent in menopausal women. According to one of the researchers, Dr. Hope Ricciotti, “the chemical structure of this compound is very similar to that of our estrogen, allowing it to act as a regulatory mechanism if the body’s natural levels decrease.” Soybeans are rich in isoflavones and have the attribute of binding to estrogen receptors in the body tissue. By binding to these receptors, isoflavones block the mimicking estrogens from attaching themselves to tissue cells.
Soy is the food that has the highest content of estrogen, says Dr. Jane Guiltinan, a naturopathic physician from Washington. “Soybeans, tofu, tempeh—anything made with soy—will contain plant estrogens. Oats, cashews, almonds, alfalfa, apples, and flaxseeds contain smaller amounts of estrogen. A woman emphasizing those foods in the diet can experience significant decreases in her hot flashes.”
A Mayo Clinic study has confirmed that dietary therapy including flaxseed oil twice a day (I prefer 1 teaspoon three times a day) will reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women and menopausal women, and even in premenopausal women who are not taking estrogen supplements. In this study, flaxseed was shown to be more effective than black cohosh and vitamin E. One reason for this might be that flaxseeds have an important fiber known as lignan, which binds with the detrimental estrogens in the intestinal tract that can then be expelled from the body. If these unwanted estrogens are not bound, they get absorbed into the body’s tissues and promote disease. So flaxseed, the raw flaxseed in particular, will detoxify the body from these damaging mimicking estrogens.
Ann Louise Gittelman, author of Before the Change: Take Charge of Your Perimenopause, notes that weight gain, a common problem in perimenopausal and menopausal women, can be minimized by eating the right kinds of foods. These foods are incorporated in Gittelman’s Changing Diet Plan.
“Low-glycemic, or slow-acting, carbohydrates will supply lots of energy for their calories. My favorites are those that are lower on the glycemic index, which is a list of carbohydrates ranked as to how they develop into blood sugar in your system. I like yams rather than white potatoes, and I like whole rye meal rather than wheat. I choose unprocessed carbohydrates that are moderate to low on the index, which also provide high-quality fiber to help eliminate excess estrogen from the system by lowering blood levels of this hormone.”
Some fruits and vegetables are particularly high in phytochemicals and phytohormones. These include apples, grapefruits, lemons, pears, peaches, and a wide variety of vegetables that are also high in fiber.
“I have found that a diet with the right amount of proteins, fats, and lowglycemic carbohydrates not only helps regulate sexual hormone production but also helps to balance the hormonal response to food, which I think is critical in keeping blood sugar levels stable,” Gittleman says. “A level blood sugar helps to prevent perimenopausal symptoms such as depression, mood swings, and hot flashes, and it leads to weight loss without any effort.
“Fats are important on the Changing Diet Plan. We need to add essential and beneficial fats, not take them away. These come in the form of the high-lignan flaxseed oil, olive oil, toasted nut seeds, and avocado. These fats stabilize blood sugar levels.
“So we’re getting our blood sugar stable, we’re assisting in long-term energy, and more importantly, we’re providing the raw material for hormones, particularly progesterone, which is the key hormone in perimenopause.”
Another natural source of phytohormones is the natural thickening agent kuzu. Several natural-foods recipes incorporate kuzu into sauces in place of flour, making this a way to both enjoy healthy foods and alleviate symptoms.
Sugar, which can cause hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, should be avoided. Sugar, coffee, and alcohol adversely affect the blood sugar and can disturb the emotions. In addition, Dr. Northrup says, “excess sugar in the diet will cause increased insulin, increased cortisol, and that raises havoc with your own hormones... Decreasing sugar in the diet or eliminating refined sugar altogether will actually balance hormones in many women.”
The following nutrients provide an additional boost to good health in the menopausal years. Always consult with a certified health care practitioner before taking any supplements.
MULTIVITAMINS—Women need a natural multivitamin/mineral supplement containing higher amounts of magnesium than calcium and high amounts of B and C vitamins. A good multiple vitamin helps build the adrenal glands, which lessens emotional symptoms.
VITAMIN E—This vitamin is known for its ability to rejuvenate the reproductive system and alleviate hot flashes. It also helps lessen vaginal thinning and dryness. Mixed (beta-, delta-, and gamma-) tocopherols are best, as they are found together in nature. D-alpha tocopherol is also preferred over synthetic vitamin E. Generally, 400 units per day should be taken in the beginning. The dosage can be gradually increased to 600 units, although some women may need up to 800 units.
ZINC—This mineral supports ovarian function. A good source is zinc picolinate. It can also be taken as an amino acid chelate or as zinc methionine. The recommended dosage is 25 to 50 milligrams per day.
B-COMPLEX—B-complex vitamins are important throughout life, but there is an extra need for these during menopause. They can be obtained from whole grains and green vegetables. B1 and B2 (25 milligrams/day), B5 (300–400 milligrams/day) and B6 (150 milligrams/day), and B12 (1,000 micrograms/day) are especially helpful during menopause. Folic acid, 800 micrograms per day, is also recommended.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFAS)—EFAs, which are precursors to the natural hormones in the body, are very important for both men and women. People on low-fat diets should pay special attention to this. A diet too low in fats can lead to an increased risk of cancer and aging. Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in flaxseed, sesame, pumpkin, and safflower oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oil capsules or fish. Both are needed. EFAs help prevent or treat vaginal dryness.
VITAMIN D—The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. It can also be taken in supplementation (400–600 IU/day), although caution should be taken not to get too much of this vitamin. Another source of vitamin D is salmon oil. People living in polluted environments need more vitamin D.
CALCIUM—Calcium is essential to prevent osteoporosis; supplementation should begin before the onset of menopause. There are many forms to choose from. Dairy is a poor source because many people have an intolerance to it. Calcium citrate is easy to digest, as it is already in an acidic medium. Calcium carbonates are alkaline and therefore more difficult to digest. Amino acid chelate is an excellent source of calcium. Calcium lactate is another good source. Calcium gluconate can be made into a powder and mixed into drinks. The recommended dosage is 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams per day.
GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID (GLA)—This is available as evening primrose oil, borage oil, or blackcurrant seed oil; 1,000 milligrams per day is recommended.
BORON—Research shows boron to be a precursor of both female and male hormones. You only need 5 milligrams a day.
A number of herbs on the market help relieve perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms by restoring the progesterone-estrogen balance. They include alfalfa, black cohosh, blue cohosh, damiana, fennel, licorice root, motherwort, red clover, red raspberry leaves, sarsaparilla, and certain forms of wild yam. Flaxseed contains lignan, a phytohormone fiber that removes excess estrogen from the system. This is particularly important, since too much estrogen is believed to fuel breast cancer. Whole flaxseeds can be ground up or can be taken as flaxseed oil.
Vitex, or chaste berry, is commonly referred to as the menopausal herb because it alleviates many symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. It works by raising the progesterone level. Ginkgo biloba has been shown to be effective in leveling mood swings.
The Chinese have been using herbs to treat women’s problems for 5,000 years. Acupuncturist Roberta Certner says that Chinese medicine sees a woman as giving birth to herself at menopause, since she no longer has an obligation to her children. This philosophy thinks in terms of cycles of seven years. When a woman is forty-nine—often the age when menopause begins—it sees her lifespan as half-finished. “The next half of the lifespan is for self-growth.”
Certner explains that “Chinese medicine is adamant that women shouldn’t be suffering from night sweats, insomnia, mood changes, and other symptoms, and herbal formulas are good for this purpose. They help to rebalance the energies of the body so that a woman doesn’t feel at the mercy of these tremendous moods and powerless over bodily changes.”
According to Certner, one virtue of Chinese medicine is gentleness: “People aren’t forced to take medications that reduce libido function and that set up terrain for heart conditions. It really addresses the mechanism itself and not just the symptoms. The reason Chinese medicine works is that it goes to the root of the problem. If progesterone is low, you enhance the progesterone, using something like dioscorea or leonorus, whose name itself means ‘mother root.’” Many different herbs are available to the practitioner, who chooses the ones to use in a given case according to the nature of the particular person involved. As Certner says, “Chinese medicine doesn’t really treat conditions—it treats people.”
Important tonic herbs in Chinese medicine include astragalus, dong quai, her shou wu, ginseng, and licorice root.
The homeopathic remedy chosen should correspond to the symptoms described. According to the late Dr. Ken Korins, a classically trained homeopathic physician in New York City, only one should be used for best results. Sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error; if one does not work, another can be tried. Here are some of the remedies Dr. Korins recommended for menopause.
The following remedies are recommended for hot flashes:
LACHESIS—Heat is felt all day long, while cold flashes may be experienced at night. Once the menstrual flow begins, all the symptoms disappear. Symptoms are worse with pressure and heat, and better with the onset of discharges or flows. Increased sexual desire is also associated with a need for lachesis.
BELLADONNA—There are many hot flashes. The face looks red and feels hot, and there is hot perspiration coming from the face and a pounding, throbbing, congested feeling in the head. Often there is dryness. Condition improves with resting quietly in the dark. Symptoms worsen with light, cold air, and sudden jolts. The emotional state can border on hysteria with rages.
GLONOINE—Hot flashes are focused, with pressure in the head and feelings of congestion. There may be an associated rise in blood pressure at the time of the flashes. Symptoms are worse with heat and better with cold air. Emotionally, there is a fear of death; there is mental agitation.
AMYL NITRATE—Flashes of heat are accompanied by headaches, often associated with anxiety and heart palpitations.
MANGANUM—Hot flashes are associated with nervous system depression. The body does not want to move. Symptoms improve when patient is lying down. Emotional state is peevish and fretful. There is a loss of pleasure in joyful music, but a profound reaction to sad music.
The term flooding refers to irregular periods that stop for a while but are very heavy when they return. The following remedies may also help younger women with extremely heavy periods:
CHINA—There is heavy bleeding, with dark, clotted blood, leading to debilitating fatigue. Symptoms get worse with drafts and light pressure, but better with strong pressure and heat. Emotional symptoms are apathy with a strong disposition toward hurting other people’s feelings (not the normal state).
SABINA—The period is characterized by heavy, bright red, clotted blood. Expelling the clots is painful, and pain radiates from the sacrum to the pubis. Emotional symptoms are irritability and a dislike for music.
SECALE—Periods are profuse and prolonged. Blood is almost black. Symptoms worsen with heat and improve with cold.
PHOSPHORUS—There is easy, frequent bleeding of bright red blood, often with no clots. The patient is low-spirited, with multiple fears. Also, memory may decrease. Another symptom is constant chilliness.
Remedies for vaginal dryness and thinning include:
SEPIA—The vaginal area is itchy and dry. There is a sense that the uterus is falling out of the vagina. There is also a loss of libido. Symptoms tend to be worse with standing, cold, rest, anything that causes venous congestion. Symptoms are improved with anything that increases venous flow, such as motion. Emotionally, there is an indifference to loved ones, sadness, and a tendency to weep easily.
NATRUM MURIATICUM—Vaginal dryness makes sexual intercourse very painful. Discharges tend to be acrid and burning. There is often a loss of pubic hair. Emotional state is one of depression and irritability, which is worse with consolation. Symptoms also tend to worsen around ten o’clock in the morning.
BRYONIA—Vaginal dryness is accompanied by severe headaches. Any motion is painful and distressing. Condition improves with rest.
NITRIC ACID—Vaginal dryness reaches the point where the mucosa fissures, causing splinterlike sensations in the vaginal area.
In recent years, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (also referred to as natural hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT) has gained popularity as a potential alternative to traditional hormone therapy. Following the Women’s Health Initiative study results in 2002, many women, doctors, and scientists turned to bioidenticals hoping to find an effective replacement to HRT that did not carry the same harmful side effects. Today, it is still a matter of debate whether BHRT is safe and effective.
The terms natural and bioidentical refer to the chemical structure of these hormones. While the chemical compounds used in traditional hormone replacement therapy consist of hormones that are structurally similar to those found in the body, the hormones used in BHRT are chemically identical to what the body naturally produces. It must be pointed out, however, that bioidentical hormones are not obtained from humans but produced synthetically in laboratories.
Just as there is a wide range of hormones at work in our bodies, there are also a number of different compounds that fall under the category of bioidentical hormones. For this reason, the debate surrounding BHRT is often muddled, with voices arguing either for or against BHRT in general. Upon further inspection it seems that the answers are not so clear cut. To gain a better understanding of the safety and efficacy of this treatment, we must look at the effects of hormones and their bioidentical counterparts individually.
Progesterone is a hormone that plays a variety of functions related to the female reproductive system, including maintaining a balanced uterine lining, inhibiting overgrowth of breast tissue, and stimulating libido. Progesterone also works to balance blood sugar, produce new bone, normalize sleep, and moderate depression and anxiety in both men and women. By the time a woman has gone through menopause, however, her progesterone levels will drop significantly.
As a bioidentical hormone, natural progesterone is said to have a number of health benefits. Among the purported advantages of progesterone is its capacity to help counteract estrogen dominance in the body, thereby reducing the chances of developing fibroids, breast cancer, ovarian cysts, and other conditions linked with excess estrogen. Other proposed uses for natural progesterone include aiding bone formation, reducing the risk of stroke, and providing anti-aging effects through cortisol production. A non-bioidentical form of progesterone known as progestin is the added ingredient to the estrogen drug Prempro.
The hormone pregnenolone is synthesized in the body from cholesterol. Pregnenolone is essential to the formation of other hormones, including DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol. In addition to its role as a precursor hormone, it is believed to help maintain cognitive function and reduce anxiety. Pregnenolone levels tend to drop as a natural part of aging.
Because of the fundamental role played by pregnenolone in the endocrine system, many scientists see great potential for the use of this hormone in BHRT. Some researchers have concluded that replenishing pregnenolone levels in older individuals to those seen in younger people will have an anti-aging effect, allowing people to learn new information and aiding in new memory formation. Some scientists advocate using pregnenolone supplements to combat mental health disorders and chemical dependency.
Research proving these assertions and establishing the safety of using bioidentical pregnenolone, however, is still in its early stages. While associations between aging and lower levels of pregnenolone have been identified, there is not sufficient evidence to definitively assert the benefits and risks associated with its use as a supplement.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been used as a dietary supplement as well as a form of BHRT. Research points to the potential use of DHEA in anti-aging medicine. Studies have indicated that this hormone may help boost memory, preserve bone health, curb depression, and aid muscle development. DHEA is also a known precursor to other hormones.
Studies over the past few years have focused on the effects of DHEA in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. A 2009 study at St. Louis University found that, when combined with vitamin D and calcium, DHEA resulted in increased bone density in older women. In another recent study published in Climacteric, Italian researchers discovered that menopausal symptoms and sexual function could be improved by DHEA.
There are reservations among scientists about the use of DHEA, especially when taken in high amounts. A number of side effects have been reported, including the growth of facial hair and deepening of the voice in women. Some experts contend that taking DHEA may also increase risk for endometrial and breast cancers.
Being the least potent of the three estrogens, estriol is often argued to be a relatively safe and mild hormone for use in bioidentical therapy. Estriol levels in the body increase greatly during pregnancy. As a bioidentical hormone, estriol is thought to have many uses, including reducing cardiovascular risk, improving bone mineral status in osteoporosis patients, and protecting urinary health. Estriol may also relieve more general menopausal symptoms, such as night sweats and hot flashes, as well as restore youthfulness in menopausal women. Certain studies have demonstrated that the relatively weak estriol does not raise the risk of developing breast and endometrial cancers in lab animals. Studies have also demonstrated estriol’s efficacy in treating menopausal symptoms without carrying the same risks as the more potent estrogens, estrone and estradiol.
The triple estrogen formula commonly used in BHRT is composed of 80 percent estriol, 10 percent estradiol, and 10 percent estrone. It is believed that this concoction, which closely mimics the ratios seen during pregnancy, is potent enough to have significant effects on menopausal symptoms. This blend is used to treat common menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, forgetfulness, and others. It is also said to have a positive anti-aging effect, much like the desired effects of Premarin or other HRT drugs.
The majority of arguments in favor of BHRT revolve around the chemicals’ natural composition. Again, while bioidentical hormones are not naturally produced, they are chemically identical to the hormones in our body and many argue that the body does not distinguish between the two. Those in the pro-BHRT camp maintain that bioidentical hormones are metabolized and excreted more easily than non-bioidenticals, reducing their overall stress on the body and thus being generally safer.
A second argument in favor of BHRT is, surprisingly, a lack of evidence of any dangerous side effects. Most studies showing links between hormone replacement and cancer, heart attack, and stroke have looked at the effects of nonbioidenticals. More long-term studies are needed to provide the necessary data for us to understand the true effects of bioidenticals. Proponents of BHRT also note that, because bioidenticals are usually available in topical cream form, they are not as likely to cause the liver problems associated with non-bioidentical hormone use. Bioidentical hormones can be applied to the skin because they can be absorbed by fats.
The use of BHRT has drawn criticism from both those in the medical establishment and many alternative and complementary health authorities. In general, these criticisms tend to revolve around the lack of information surrounding bioidentical use as well as research showing the carcinogenic properties and adverse reactions associated with hormones, especially estrogen.
The first concern for many is that bioidentical hormones will have the same negative side effects as traditional HRT. It has been noted that some forms of bioidentical hormones are even more potent than synthetics. As a growth-stimulating hormone, estrogen is associated with cancer and tumor formation, particularly in the breast and endometrial areas. The worry here is that, although the chemicals used are not foreign to our bodies, excess hormone levels late in life may have consequences that are not yet fully understood.
Quality control is another area of concern for those critical of BHRT. Barbara Seaman and Laura Eldridge note in The No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause that “many natural hormones, prescription and otherwise, come from compounding pharmacies. . . But like many ‘alternative’ or ‘natural’ medicines, the products created in compounding pharmacies are often undertested.” While compounding pharmacies are a necessary aspect of bioidentical creation—specific ratios of a drug can be tailored to a patient—this does imply a lack of standard dosage. In addition, bioidenticals are not regulated by the FDA, are often produced overseas, and usually come in the form of topical creams. Consequently, there can often be no way to know the exact purity or concentration present in one’s bioidentical concoction.
Last, the long-term side effects of BHRT are still unknown. While BHRT’s efficacy has been well demonstrated, its safety is still a matter of debate. Seaman and Eldridge conclude their argument by saying, “The bottom line, we believe, is that a natural hormone is made in your body, not in a lab, warehouse, or pharmacy. Once you take into account the risks inherent in less-tested products, we don’t see a problem with using natural hormones. Just realize they probably carry the same risks as prescription HT and ET.” Indeed, this gets to the heart of the matter: it is the choice of each individual to decide how she will deal with her health. No matter which side of the debate you may fall on, it is clear that more scientific studies, transparency, and accessible information are the keys to healthy decision making.
Regular exercise can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. For best results, it is a good idea to begin exercising before menopause begins. Otherwise, exercise may trigger hot flashes. Exercise also alleviates mood swings and depression by naturally raising serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. The best exercises to engage in are dancing, brisk walking, running, swimming, biking, and tai chi. Additional benefit is derived from cross-training, doing different exercises on different days. This prevents any one part of the body from becoming overdeveloped or overstressed.
“Exercise is absolutely crucial, especially after the age of forty,” says Dr. Northrup. “Your body is not as forgiving.”
Research has found that aerobic exercises as well as strength training are important for the body—and the mind. “Miriam Nelson at Tufts has shown that two forty-minute weight-training sessions per week increased bone density in women greater than they had with Premarin, which is a hormone replacement I would not recommend to anyone,” Dr. Northrup says. “She found that the muscle mass itself and the ability to be more effective in the gym or more effective with weights actually translated into being effective in the world. In other words, these women were then more apt to get out at night. They weren’t afraid of driving into a strange city. Taking a night class or parking in a parking garage. . . We have some fascinating studies showing that when your body becomes more capable, your mind and your mood begin to feel more capable. You become more capable as well.”
Dr. Northrup also tells about the recent research of Dr. Joan Vernikos, former head of life sciences at NASA, who says that the key to improved health is simply moving frequently throughout the day. She found that a lack of engaging with gravity causes aging and deterioration throughout the body. In menopausal women, this deterioration can affect the stabilizer muscles, including the core muscles and the muscles of the pelvic floor, leading to urinary stress incontinence and urinary problems. “Those problems are the number one reason why women get put into nursing homes,” Dr. Northrup says, the inability to control their bladder. This results directly from loss of tone of the pelvic floor.
“When you just start to stand up and sit down, or really increase your G force by moving your body up and down through space, this dramatically decreases urinary stress incontinence because moving through that vector of gravity strengthens the core stabilizer muscles. Even if you exercise and you sit six hours a day, which is most people, those bits of exercise that you do will not counteract the adverse effects of sitting. You need to just stand up and sit down. It’s so easy to do.”
“Aromatherapy is truly holistic because it is a mind-body treatment,” states Ann Berwick, author of Holistic Aromatherapy and Women’s Health. “I think this is part of the secret of its power.” Berwick uses essential oils to help alleviate a number of conditions, including hormonal imbalance in women going through menopause. “Cyprus, fennel, and clary sage are believed to have estrogen-like effects. For overall balancing, I recommend that my clients use these oils in a lotion or body oil, and apply it to their body two or three times a day. When women are experiencing hot flashes, I also suggest that they breathe in peppermint or basil on a tissue throughout the day. I find that a great help for most of my clients.”
Menopausal women report relief and rejuvenation from Ayurvedic formulas using herbal phytoestrogens and phytoprogesterones. Ayurveda believes that balance is the key to perfect health. It basically determines which mind-body type a person is and helps people choose the type of foods they should eat and the type of exercise that is best for them.
Laura Norman, a certified reflexologist from New York City, says, “For menopause, in addition to working the reproductive organs, I would also encourage you to work your thyroid gland, as this will help take over when the ovaries produce less estrogen. This is how to find this point: the base of the toes reflects the neck area where the thyroid is located. Press your thumbs into the base of your toes and thumb-walk across that ridge, particularly in the base of the big toe.
“Another area to massage is the adrenal gland reflex point. You are on the big toe side of the foot. Go about a third of the way down your foot. You are under the ball of the foot, in line with the big toe. If you press your thumb into that area, it will provide energy when you feel fatigued.
“Also, the pituitary gland, which helps all the other glands to work, is located in the center of the big toe. Pressure applied there helps stimulate that area. Both feet should be massaged equally.”
Tina Chunna Zhang, founder of the Qi Gong Center for Women in New York City and author of several books on the martial arts, says that qi gong has been used for 2,000 years in China to cultivate the body’s energy and cure a variety of problems, including the hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause. She recommends the following series of motions. “You do this in the morning and in the evening, at least twice a day. It’s very simple. You stand up with feet parallel to the ground and keep both feet apart about shoulder width, and then you relax your body. You relax your mind as well. Your hands come up in front of you like you’re holding a beach ball. Your palms face yourself in front of your chest. Then you start to take a deep inhale all the way through your nose while your arms rise upwards. Keep them moving upwards when you’re inhaling. Then when you exhale, your arms go downwards from the side. You also exhale all the way through your nose. Repeat this about eight to sixteen times.”
Prior to [Gary Null’s] study group I had irregular and sparse cycles with extreme cramping and low energy. My body had turned into a pear shape. After I finished your program within a month or two I had my flow and regularity of the cycles was back to normal. I had my energy back and my happy attitude, and the pear shape just reversed itself completely. All signs from my blood work were extremely good. All that turned around in just those three months for me.
—Lisa
I had terrible acne. I was tired all the time. I was bleeding profusely. I had talked to a lot of people and they were saying, oh hysterectomy, hysterectomy. I was not wanting to go there. So that’s what I was dealing with, and a lot of weight gain. As soon as I stopped eating meat, I think I dropped ten pounds in two weeks. My skin cleared up. I had so much more energy and I had a normal period for the first time in three years. There was none of the clotting or horribleness. For me, that was the biggest thing that could have happened. The lines around my eyes and on my face, they’re much better. They sort of went away. My skin got firmer. I slept less. My LDL cholesterol went down.
—Diane
The worst thing that I had was a really terrible attitude towards the whole aging process and towards menopause. I’m a feminist in many ways and an activist. For some reason underneath all that I had a really bad attitude toward menopause. Seeing all these people just reverse their issues and their problems quite simply just by working with [Gary Null’s] protocols was really inspiring. I tend to be inconsistent in my approach, like I’ll be great with it for a month, and then I’ll fall off again. One thing that happened that was interesting was that I was perfectly strict with it for two weeks and I just lost ten pounds with no discomfort and no trouble at all. I’m still working to create a consistent attitude toward my exercise. Having [this approach] under my belt allows me to go to the doctor and absorb what they say and go home and take care of things with a very balanced attitude. I use their information and then I’m usually able to completely avoid drugs and surgery. I see just incredible improvements in people and you’re continually inspired. It’s just a great protocol and I’ve really benefited from it overall.
—Elaine
In my eighteen-month study using a strict program of an organic plant-based diet, cleansing, and detoxifying, women who had been postmenopausal returned to a premenopausal state of health or improved their premenopausal symptoms. The women were eating no animal proteins, sugar, caffeine, or processed food; exercising six days a week for an hour; drinking lots of fresh organic juices; and taking certain herbs. Skin wrinkles were diminshed, energy restored, human growth hormone was back, hormones were balanced, and status was improved. The gray, thinning hair of one seventy-one-year-old woman grew back brown and thick. Another woman had had a low libido, and her mucous membranes had been dry, as was her skin. Her skin and mucous membranes regained moisture, and she enjoyed a level of health and energy that she hadn’t experienced for years. Her toenails and fingernails, which had been brittle, yellow, and cracked, became pink and fresh. This was all without medication or any hormone replacement therapy. We just gave her body a chance to rebalance itself; we honored it by not giving it anything that would have led to an imbalance.
First and foremost, my program involved eliminating all dairy from the diet in every form. Women were told to read labels and make sure there was no casein in products because casein and whey are dairy. Women also eliminated wheat in any form. Then I had them eliminate all meat, sugar, fried foods, carbonated beverages, chicken, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. They couldn’t use the hydrogenated fats any longer.
Over the next six months, I introduced certain supplements. But the program was more than about supplements. It was about cleansing the system: taking the body burden of all these highly denatured foods and getting them out of the system. Once you stop something that is negative, it doesn’t mean that the negative consequence is automatically gone. If you stop drinking fluoridated water and you’ve been drinking it your whole life, you still have all that fluoride built up in your body and with it a lot of lead as well. So first was elimination. Get rid of what’s causing an assault on the body. Why? Many of these things are hormone disruptors. They can disrupt how the body creates hormones and utilizes them. Menopause is really about hormonal changes. So anything that could limit the radical shift in hormones could at the same time help the body.
Within three weeks, people talked about having more energy. Within two months, they were losing weight. They were sleeping better and having more energy. By four months people were talking about how their moods changed. They were feeling better. They no longer had the highs and the lows. They no longer had the anxiety and mania. They no longer had depression. By half a year, they were seeing changes in their skin. Aging spots were diminishing. Vision was improving. Body functions were working better. Localized joint inflammation was gone. They were breathing better. Their digestion was improved. We had people talking about their hair. There was one woman who showed everyone her hair. She had gray hair on the outside, but near the roots for about a quarter of an inch was natural black hair. She hadn’t seen any black hair coming out of her head in twenty years. Here it was all over her head. So in effect the body was rejuvenating. It was de-aging. She was not the only one. One woman who was fiftyfour said that she would be afraid to shampoo her hair because of how much hair would come out of her head. She had been going bald but it was filling back in again.
People started realizing that there was a rejuvenation process involved here. It was really doing something terrific. The weight across the room was just pouring off people. Why? I wasn’t starving them. They were having plenty of food to eat, but it was the quality of the food. There were lots of live energy foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, fresh spices, grains, beans, legumes, and tubers. We had a class on making cooking more interesting using different types of oils: toasted sesame, garlic lemon, sweet basil, and black pepper oil. They started using more grains and more beans.
I heard about how their varicose veins went down, spider veins went away, and bruising was no longer the case. Receding and bleeding gums stopped. Teeth became firmer. All of this was accomplished without ever using new drugs or medications. It was just lifestyle. They were exercising using both weights and power resistance like power walking, jogging, or biking. They were also taking some time to deal with the stress in their lives. Most people don’t realize how destructive stress is. Stress creates cortisol. Cortisol blocks progesterone. That allows estrogen no longer to have something that is blocking it and keeping it in check. That makes you more susceptible to breast cancer, endometriosis, and ovarian cancers.
I even showed them ways to make interesting juices. Get a bunch of your favorite fruit and throw it in a blender. Put in some soy or rice protein powder, and throw in a B-complex of 100 milligrams. Throw in some vitamin C. Throw in a banana and blend it all up with some juice, rice, or soymilk and you’ve got an energy shake that’s filled with phytochemicals. The more phytochemicals you put in your body the more natural hormone rebalancing you’re going to do. In effect every glass of fresh fruit juice and every glass of fresh vegetable juice is helping you remain younger longer. It has the phytoestrogens, the natural plant based ones, which protect you against cancer, and keep you more youthful.
Among the supplements I used was beta-1, 3-D glucan, which helps in marrow production and is great for the immune system. I don’t believe there is anything you can put in your body that is as good for your brain and heart as coenzyme Q10. Then, of course, the mother of all hormones, DHEA, at 25 to 50 milligrams, helps your body protect you against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It is crucial on all levels. You’re going to be less susceptible to fluctuations in insulin and cortisol, and all these other bad hormones. You’re going to slow down the aging of the brain. It also helps raise the levels of circulating beta-endorphins known to decline with menopause, so quite simply you feel better.
I would also add in the essential fatty acids like primrose oil, borage seed oil, and flaxseed oil, generally about 1,500 milligrams. Start the day with some rice protein and folic acid at 800 micrograms, Vitamin E with tocotrienols at 400, boron at 3 milligrams, calcium magnesium at 1,000 milligrams, and quercetin generally 2,000 milligrams a day. Most women are deficient in potassium. They need potassium for energy.
You need vitamin C throughout the day. Remember you’re creating free radicals all the time, twenty-four hours a day. Free radicals are what cause your cells to become inflamed and damaged. So the more free radicals you have, the more damage you’re going to have and the more disease you’re going to produce. Also, the quicker you’re going to age, and the more you’re going to be sick. Free radicals can be stopped or limited with antioxidants. Chinese green tea and bilberry extract, n-acetyl cysteine, and glutathione trap the free radicals. Alpha lipoic acid should be at the top of most people’s list of things they should have in their system. Take melatonin at nighttime, generally 1 to 3 milligrams. Aloe vera is quite simply one of the five most important immune boosting, antiviral, antibacterial superstars of nutrition. Take two ounces of aloe vera twice a day. Additionally, the women took black cumin seed oil to assist in decreasing inflammation throughout their bodies as well as curcumin to help protect their DNA.
We also had the women take some things to enhance libido, like black cohosh, cramp bark, dong quai, and Siberian ginseng. Chickweed, dandelion greens, fennel, sage, and squaw vine are terrific at rebalancing naturally the hormones. Gotu kola and dong quai relieve hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and even depression.
The more of the red fruits you consume or the powdered concentrates of red fruits, the more repair to your DNA, and that’s what we want to do. We want to repair the DNA. Now it’s done slowly. It’s done over a period of time, but yes it can be repaired.
These women also exercised every day. They dealt with stress every day. They focused upon positives and the things they could control. The results were amazing.
An increasing body of evidence is showing the benefits of natural modalities to overall health and well-being. Following is a sample of recent peer-reviewed scientific studies in the area of menopause.
According to a 2014 article in Life Extension Magazine, among the most effective bioidentical hormones recommended during menopause are prenylflavonoid molecules in hops and lignans found in the Norway spruce. In 2015, researchers at the University of Georgia reported in the journal Obesity that a mix of phytochemicals and vitamin D may prevent liver damage caused by fat accumulated during menopause. The plant chemicals used in the study included reservatrol (from grapes), genistein (from soybeans), and quercitin (from apple peels and onions). In a 2010 study published in Phytomedicine, menopausal women who took a hops extract standardized to 100 micrograms/day of 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN; a potent phytoestrogen) showed notable reductions in menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and low sex drive after eight weeks of therapy. A 2013 report in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that women who took supplements of either 36 or 72 milligrams of 7-hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) lignan per day for eight weeks experienced higher levels of the mild phytoestrogen in their bodies and had a 50 percent reduction in hot flashes. A 2012 study of ninety menopausal women published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research concluded that licorice root decreased the frequency and severity of hot flashes. A 2015 study published in Menopause found that a ten-week program of exercise training according to the Nordic walking model caused more significant changes in glucose and basic blood lipid levels than Pilates and dietary intervention alone.