Natural herbs to improve hormonal regulation during menopause

(NaturalNews) Mid-life can bring about a number of changes for a woman's physiology. A growing number of women experience very drastic hormonal issues as they move into peri-menopause and menopause. Often they complain of low libido, hair loss, weight gain, sluggishness, anxiety, hot flashes and insomnia. Natural herbal compounds can help improve hormonal regulation and quality of life in menopausal women.

Both estrogen and progesterone decline naturally through the aging process. From the age of thirty-five to fifty years of age, there is a 75% reduction in the production of progesterone in the body. During that same age range, estrogen only drops by about 35% (1).

So by menopause, the body maintains about half the amount of estrogen but has around a quarter the amount of progesterone it once had. This reduction in progesterone creates a hormonal imbalance and a state of estrogen dominance. This is the common condition for women in peri-menopause (mid-forties) and menopause.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance during menopause:

• Night sweats
• Hot flashes
• Headaches
• Decreased libido
• Tiredness
• Lethargy
• Irritability
• Hair loss
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Sleep difficulties
• Inability to concentrate
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Cancer (Breast, Uterine & Ovarian)

Specific herbs and nutrients to support healthy hormonal balance

There are many natural herbal compounds that work to balance estrogen and progesterone levels. These herbal compounds are called sex hormone modulators as they have the ability to coordinate the release of major sex hormones based on the conditional needs.

Here are a few herbs that regulate the formation of bad estrogen metabolites and balance sex hormone production and utilization.

Korean ginseng

Ginseng has been given the Greek name, Panax, which means "all curing" as it has remarkable adaptogenic qualities that benefit individuals no matter their phase of life or what stressors they are encountering.

Research has shown that ginseng has the ability to stabilize blood sugar by improving fatty acid metabolism.(2) This reduces stress on the adrenals and improves stamina, energy and physical performance. The compounds in ginseng also improve oxygenation throughout the body and improve the immune system.(3)

Black cohosh

Black cohosh contains triterpene glycosides that have estrogen modulating impacts on metabolism (4). These components have been shown to improve estrogen deficient type symptoms without the adverse risks of estrogen replacement therapy.

Black cohosh has been shown to decrease hot flashes, increase blood flow to the pelvic area, relieve spasms and improve hormone related mood depression (5). This substance does not stimulate the uterine tissue and promote the formation of fibroids the way estrogen replacement does (6). This is a very safe and natural compound to use in support of estrogen balance.

Don Quai

This herb, otherwise known as Angelica Sinensis, has the ability to modulate the way the estrogen receptor functions. It is believed to have compounds that have estrogenic expression but in significantly reduced potency as human estrogens in the ratio of 1:400. This herb helps to ensure optimal estrogen expression in the body.

In estrogen deficient cases, it is able to bind and influence the estrogen receptor to improve estrogen interaction with the tissue cells. In estrogen dominant patterns it competes with estrogen receptor binding and lowers the potency of estrogen on the bodily tissues. This is because its potency is so much lower than human estrogen (7).

Dong Quai also improves iron absorption in anemic cases and has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving qualities (8). It also improves cardiac function and increases vaginal lubrication (9)

Sources:

1) http://www.drlam.com/blog/estrogen-dominance-part-1/1704/

2) Hwang H, Kim J, Park J, Yun H, Cheon WK, Kim B, Lee CH, Suh H, Lim K. Red ginseng treatment for two weeks promotes fat metabolism during exercise in mice.
Nutrients. 2014 May 5;6(5):1874-85. PMID: 24803098

3) Lee JS, Ko EJ, Hwang HS, Lee YN, Kwon YM, Kim MC, Kang SM. Antiviral activity of ginseng extract against respiratory syncytial virus infection. Int J Mol Med. 2014 Jul;34(1):183-90. PMID: 24756136

4) Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Shahnazi M, Nahaee J, Bayatipayan S.
Efficacy of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa L.) in treating early symptoms of menopause: a randomized clinical trial. Chin Med. 2013 Nov 1;8(1):20. PMID:
24499633

5) Osmers R, Friede M, Liske E, Schnitker J, Freudenstein J, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH. Efficacy and safety of isopropanolic black cohosh extract for climacteric symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 2005 May;105(5 Pt 1):1074-83. Erratum in: Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Sep;106(3):644. PMID:15863547

6) Lieberman S. A review of the effectiveness of Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh) for the symptoms of menopause. J Womens Health. 1998 Jun;7(5):525-9. Review. PMID:
9650153

7) Amato P, Christophe S, Mellon PL. Estrogenic activity of herbs commonly used as remedies for menopausal symptoms. Menopause. 2002 Mar-Apr;9(2):145-50. PMID: 11875334

8) Saw CL, Wu Q, Su ZY, Wang H, Yang Y, Xu X, Huang Y, Khor TO, Kong AN. Effects of natural phytochemicals in Angelica sinensis (Danggui) on Nrf2-mediated gene expression of phase II drug metabolizing enzymes and anti-inflammation. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 2013 Sep;34(6):303-11. PMID: 23640758

9) Liu J, Burdette JE, Xu H, Gu C, van Breemen RB, Bhat KP, Booth N, Constantinou AI, Pezzuto JM, Fong HH, Farnsworth NR, Bolton JL. Evaluation of estrogenic activity of plant extracts for the potential treatment of menopausal symptoms. J Agric Food Chem. 2001 May;49(5):2472-9. PMID: 11368622

About the author:
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.

His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain - the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.

Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance consultations and health coaching to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. For more information got to www.drjockers.com