Prompted by pressure from women's health groups and congresswomen, the first and only large governmental study comparing the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with placebos in healthy menopausal women was initiated. Earlier this year, after completing only five years of this eight year study, the Women's Health Initiative trial was abruptly ended because it was determined unethical to continue administering HRT to the study participants due to the serious risks it poses...

Healthy Hormones through Menopause

For decades doctors have encouraged generally every woman that had not had a hysterectomy to start taking HRT when approaching menopause due to long-standing beliefs that in addition to addressing menopausal symptoms, it also prevented heart disease and osteoporosis.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) also published results of a study this year that examined more than 46,000 women, showing that the conventional estrogen-progestin HRT regimens (Premarin, PremPro, and Provera) increase previously healthy women's risk of heart attack by 29%, stroke by 41 %, and breast cancer by a cumulative 8% per year (meaning a 5 year use of HRT results in a 40% increase in the risks of breast cancer). The incidence of breast cancer has risen significantly over the past two decades and is now the most common form of cancer among women in the US. More than six million women in the US were taking PremPro alone at the time of the study's early release.

Menopause is not a disease.

At the turn of the century, the average life expectancy for women was 55; thus menopause coincided with a woman's final years. In the US today, the average age at menopause is 52 while a woman's life expectancy is 80, a good 30 years beyond the end of her fertility cycles. The pathologization of the menopausal experience has deemed it a "deficiency syndrome" or "ovarian failure", inferring that something is wrong or lost or inadequate and needs to be fixed or replaced. The reality is that ovarian estrogen starts its natural decline around the age of 25, at which time estrogen made by the adrenal glands increases production to compensate. Combined with hormones made in other parts of the body, all the estrogen needed by a woman who will not be bearing children is sufficiently supplied during and following the menopausal years.

These physiological facts are not meant to suggest that the menopausal experience is an easy one for all women, only that it is perfectly natural. It is in fact one of the pinnacles, along with first menses and childbirth, of the female experience, a powerful journey for which one should be physically, mentally, and spiritually well prepared. During the average 1-5 year menopausal climax many women experience hot flashes, sleep disturbances, palpitations, fatigue, nausea, mood swings, urinary frequency, vaginal dryness, and muscle and joint pains, some to debilitating degrees.

Pills, patents, and profits.

As the baby boom generation ages, pharmaceutical companies have come to rely on menopausal women as a competitively lucrative market. And because as a culture we've adopted a "fast-food" mentality to problem solving, expecting immediate solutions to our troubles, preferring the proverbial "pill" over deeper more sustainable solutions to our complex issues, pharmaceutical companies have enjoyed considerable profits. But the issue gets even trickier when we consider patent laws. Because natural substances cannot be patented, pharmaceutical companies are built around the research and development of chemically altered, synthetically replicated, and thus patentable, derivatives of natural substances for the security of their market share.

In the case of HRT, pharmaceutical companies devised chemical changes in the hormone progesterone to create a patentable compound called progestin to accompany the estrogen (whether "natural" or synthetic) in conventional menopausal therapies (also used in oral contraceptives and the popular birth control drug, Depo Provera). Progestins are designed to mimic natural progesterone the body, but fail to convey and may even block the complete range of messages to target cells that a natural progesterone molecule would. "Any change in the molecular structure of a hormone changes its actions, " reminds John R. Lee, MD., in his latest book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: "The real tragedy is that the natural forms of these hormones, used wisely and in moderation, could be of very real benefit to millions of women. I believe that the synthetic version of these hormones are making millions of women sick, and putting them at risk for cancer, strokes, and heart disease. "

We have natural choices.

Many women find that an individualized combination of herbs, exercise, nutritional support, and natural therapies helps them to manage the worst of their menopausal symptoms. At Common Ground we offer several resources to help guide you through a healthy natural menopausal experience:

USP Progesterone and Phytoestrogens. USP Progesterone derived from the Mexican Wild Yam plant is bio-identical to natural human progesterone. Progesterone and estrogen, like many of the hormones in the body, work synergistically. The presence of progesterone sensitizes estrogen receptors in the body, optimizing circulating estrogen levels without changing the actual levels of estrogen. Since women's bodies continue to produce some estrogen after menopause, many women find that supplementation with USP progesterone is enough to address their symptoms. For women who are very thin, who have had hysterectomies at a young age, or have certain risk factors such as high cholesterol or heightened bone loss, some form of estrogen or phytoestrogens may be necessary to completely fulfill their body's needs. Phytoestrogens are non-hormonal substances naturally occurring in many plants. While they are not considered to be true hormones, they can affect mild actions in the body that support and balance estrogenic levels. We carry the widely recommended Emerita progestrone and phytoestrogen products here at Common Ground.

Soy and Isoflavones. Adding 50 mg of soy-based food daily to your diet (such as tofu, tempeh, and soymilk) can significantly reduce the incidence of hot flashes and night sweats. Soybeans contain compounds called isoflavones, a plant's expression of estrogen. Over the long term, isoflavones also may have beneficial effects on cholesterol and bones. A typical Asian woman eats 30-50 mg of isoflavones daily. The Japanese and Chinese do not have a word for menopausal hot flash in their language and have the lowest incidence of breast cancer in the industrialized world. While safe in dietary amounts, the consumption of extraordinary amounts of soy and isoflavone supplements may interact and compete with estrogen and cause harm to the body system.

Vitamins and Minerals.A well-rounded multi-vitamin and mineral supplement can play a key role in maintaining our hormonal health. Supplementation can be important during times of illness and physiological or emotional stress by compensating for nutrients that our active lives have depleted or that our eating patterns have overlooked.

Homeopathy. While homeopathy is a very safe treatment option for many health concerns, it is best to consult with a knowledgeable professional who can tailor dosages to individuals' needs.

copyright © November 2002