Perimenopause & Hot flushes: why not try plants that nature has given us?

Did you know that 89.6% of women have already experienced one of the following symptoms during perimenopause [1]:

•  Waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat.

•  Then shiver the rest of the night because their nightgown and wet sheets have turned icy cold.

•  Get tired the next day from a bad night.

•  End the day with an argument with their partner.

•  Being taken by a sudden hot flush in the middle of a meeting ... having a sweaty forehead and burning cheeks to the point of having to leave the room in a hurry.

•  Have a racing heart.

•  Be soaked in their clothes.

These daily hot flushes and night sweats are dreadful.

It was long thought that they only appeared for a year, around perimenopause, around our 50s.

Today, we know that on average the period of hot flushes lasts between 2 and 5 years. They appear at peri-menopause and often stop a few years after the onset of full menopause. 15% of women can even experience them for over 30 years!

Many also complain of having changeable mood and being overly emotional at these times.

What is the origin of hot flushes?

Menopause is marked by decreased secretion of hormones.

First, the ovary stops secreting progesterone - the specific hormone for pregnancy [2]. The cycles will then become anarchic (longer, shorter, more painful) until the last period.

Then the secretions of oestrogen - hormones specific to femininity are reduced. This fall is responsible for hot flushes, as well as vaginal dryness.

With the drop in oestrogen, we observe that the region of the brain that controls the body's temperature, the hypothalamus, reacts in a way that remains inexplicable: it considers the body to be overheated.

In a panic, the hypothalamus orders the central nervous system to release the supposed excess heat from the body. The peripheral vessels will then dilate, and the sebaceous glands will activate. These mechanisms can increase the temperature of the skin by 2.5 ° C. This is when we feel the hot flush overcome us.

Some good habits to start.

To better manage your hot flushes, it is often enough to adopt some good habits as described by Dr Danielle Roux-Sitruk [2]:

• Choose comfortable clothes, linen, or cotton - but not synthetic material.

• Avoid turtlenecks, which can accentuate hot flushes.

• Do not eat too many spicy foods. Be careful not to drink too much alcohol.

• Always try to have a cold bottle of water with you.

• If you can, work in a well-ventilated room ... near the window or a fan.

 Palma Rosa or clary sage essential oils mixed with liquid soap or body milks and lotions are effective in controlling sudden bouts of sweating.

What about hormone replacement therapy?

This is an very complex subject that deserves to be treated separately.

In summary, the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) offered have mixed results.

Their long-term harmfulness remains controversial.

It may still take a decade before the scientific community can be sure that HRT is safe.

In the meantime, to get some immediate relief, there are herbs known to reduce hot flushes.

Natural solutions: plants

Herbs are the best alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

1. Food

In your diet, you can easily get phytohormones, which are gentle and active.

Phytohormones seem to be more effective in women who already experience frequent hot flushes (up to 5 times a day) [2].

The foods richest in phytohormones are lentils, soybeans, and kidney beans. Nature did it right, being delicious and easy to accommodate.

It is also found in lower amounts in chickpeas, green beans, broccoli, cooked asparagus, blackcurrants, grapefruit, raisins, hazelnuts, and peanuts.

Note: Many will tell you that phytohormones in soy cause cancer (especially breast cancer). These allegations are grossly exaggerated. The review of clinical trials published in 2014 concluded that soy marginally reduced cancer risk [3].

The bottom line is that the impact on cancer is minimal ... So imperceptible that it is difficult to quantify it. This is the common thread among all the soybean studies (positive or negative) - they see no significant variation. "Regular consumption of soy is neither harmful nor beneficial with regard to the risk of breast cancer [4]. "

Of course, people with cancer should limit soy as a precaution. But more generally, no one should abuse soy. Likewise with all foods.

In the past, Asians themselves ate soybeans sparingly.

2. Herbal supplement

One of the most effective plants for hot flushes is black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) a North American perennial in the buttercup family used for hundreds of years by Native Americans for a variety of purposes, including inflammatory conditions, stimulation of menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea, cough suppression, diarrhoea, rheumatism, arthritis, and muscle pain [4].

Black Cohosh is surprising because it does not contain phytoestrogens. Its mode of action is different: it appears to act on serotonin receptors [4].

Since the 1940s, therapists have prescribed it to alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause: especially hot flushes, but also excess sweating, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety [4].

In most studies, the tablets used are extracts standardized to 1 mg of 27-deoxyactein. The dose is 1 to 2 tablets, twice a day.

Black cohosh is often paired with St. John's Wort - which targets mood swings common during perimenopause [4]. Together they form a cocktail that covers most of the symptoms of perimenopause.

Black cohosh is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding ... as well as in people with damaged liver or taking drugs that weaken the liver.

Read the labels closely, this is black cohosh, not blue or white cohosh, which are poisonous.

You can find black cohosh in pharmacies, in good health food stores, or online: iHerb or Naturitas.

Note:  I do not receive any commission or compensation in exchange for the products I recommend, it is just for information purpose.

The information in my blogs is for informational purposes only and cannot be considered as personalized medical advice.  No treatment should be undertaken based solely on the contents of my blogs, and the reader is strongly recommended to consult health professionals for any matter relating to their health and well-being.

[1] Older women still suffer from hot flushes and night sweats years after the menopause, Int. J. of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

[2] Dr Danielle Roux-Sitruk, Living your perimenopause with happiness, Plants & Well-Being, N ° 2, July 2014, SNI EDITIONS

[3] Chen M, Rao Y, Zheng Y, Wei S, Li Y, Guo T, Yin P. Association between soy isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk for pre- and post-menopausal women: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. PLoS One. 2014 Feb 20;9(2): e89288.

[4] Geller SE, Studee L. Contemporary alternatives to plant oestrogens for perimenopause. Maturitas. 2006 Nov 1;55 Suppl 1: S3-13. Review.

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