Yaso Shan looks at the natural alternatives available for combating the unwanted side effects of the menopause

The endocrine pattern in peri-menopausal women is associated with declining ovarian function resulting in plummeting oestrogen concentrations and complete halting of progesterone production. Consequently, and via negative feedback response, the pituitary gland signals the adrenal to increase its hormone output, particularly oestrogen. When this standby system is fully operational, the menopause should occur with few or no side effects. The reason it fails for so many women in the West has been strongly attributed to adrenal exhaustion caused by stress, low blood sugar and poor diet (Walker and Brown 1998). Interestingly, women in other cultures who follow natural diets and a holistic lifestyle appear to escape menopausal symptoms. Japanese women, for example, rarely experience hot flushes and other associated menopausal complaints (Aldercreutz et al 1992, Beyene 1986). On balance and considering the health risks, natural alternatives may be the best and safest option towards management of patients. However, in some instances HRT supplementation is an unavoidable measure in the clinical management of menopause and has proven to be an invaluable treatment option for some women (see Table 1).