Studies show that the food we eat affects the chemical composition of our brain and alters our mood. Our diet affects our cognitive capabilities, including alertness and the release of neurotransmitters. We can change our mood by changing our diets.
There are a variety of symptoms one may experience during menopause:
Many women will often seek natural treatments to mitigate their symptoms before reverting to their last resort: hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is loaded with concerning side effects such as increased risk of cancer and heart disease, and worsening liver congestion with long-term use.
Yoga and herbal therapy are great natural treatments which can effectively help one transition comfortably through menopause. In a 2014 randomized controlled trial, although aerobic exercise and omega-3 intervention groups did not show a significant improvement in symptoms, the yoga intervention group saw a dramatic improvement in lessening menopausal symptoms.
In a review of the literature on menopause and herbs, Kargozar and colleagues (2017) summarized some of the more effective herbal medicines used to lessen the symptoms of menopause. They include:
Remember, menopause is a natural process. Medicinal herbs and yoga therapy have been successfully used for centuries to help ease menopausal symptoms. With modern conventional western medicine, it’s easy to overlook the natural remedies and revert only to synthetic chemicals loaded with side effects.
Yoga can be done almost anywhere, any time. Just 40 minutes of morning yoga 5 days a week has been found to improve menstrual health in reproductive-aged women (Rani et al., 2013).
Dr. Bhandari and the Advanced Health Team Are Here to Support Your Health.
Our expert team of integrative holistic practitioners work with patients suffering from chronic health concerns as well as patients undergoing natural processes like menopause. We help our patients reverse disease by better understanding how the body optimally functions and providing personalized treatment plan. To learn more and book an appointment, contact Advanced Health or call 1-415-506-9393.
References
Akazawa, N., Choi, Y., Miyaki, A., Tanabe, Y., Sugawara, J., Ajisaka, R., & Maeda, S. (2013). Effects of curcumin intake and aerobic exercise training on arterial compliance in postmenopausal women. Artery Research, 7(1), 67-72. doi:10.1016/j.artres.2012.09.003.
Ibrahim, R. M., Hamdan, N. S., Mahmud, R., Imam, M. U., Saini, S. M., Rashid, S. N. A., . . . Ismail, M. (2014). A randomised controlled trial on hypolipidemic effects of nigella sativa seeds powder in menopausal women. Journal of Translational Medicine, 12, 82-82.
Kargozar, R., Azizi, H., & Salari, R. (2017). A review of effective herbal medicines in controlling menopausal symptoms. Electronic Physician, 9(11), pp. 5826-5833.
Rani, M., Singh, U., Agrawal, G. G., Natu, S. M., Kala, S., Ghildiyal, A., & Srivastava, N. (2013). Impact of Yoga Nidra on menstrual abnormalities in females of reproductive age. Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.), 19(12), 925-929.
Reed, S. D., Guthrie, K. A., Newton, K. M., Anderson, G. L., Booth-LaForce, C., Caan, B., ... & Freeman, E. W. (2014). Menopausal quality of life: RCT of yoga, exercise, and omega-3 supplements. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 210(3), 244-e1.
Riva, A., Togni, S., Giacomelli, L., Franceschi, F., Eggenhoffner, R., Feragalli, B., . . . Dugall, M. (2017). Effects of a curcumin-based supplementation in asymptomatic subjects with low bone density: A preliminary 24-week supplement study. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 21(7), 1684-1689.
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