[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Known also as the change of life, the menopause is defined as that time in a woman’s life when menstruation stops and she’s no longer able to conceive without the appliance of medical science.

In western societies this change in women mostly occurs around the age of 51 but it can happen anytime from the 30s and 40s onwards. When the menopause arrives and the ovaries fail – or if they’re surgically removed – changes to hormone levels follow. The consequences of these changes differ to a large extent from woman to woman but few women escape menopause symptoms entirely.

It’s a similar and familiar story then for many women and is a hot topic: in every sense.

Night Fever
The menopause is associated with a range of symptoms ranging from vaginal dryness, sleep problems and anxiety. But if there’s two things responsible for the most menopause misery then it’s hot flushes and night sweats. It’s thought that at least 75% of women experience hot flushes to some extent.

So exactly what are hot flushes and how long do they go on for?

The NHS UK describes hot flushes as being characterized by a sudden feeling of heat. The heat comes from nowhere, spreading throughout the body and is often accompanied by sweating, palpitations and a red flush. For some women their hot flushes are relatively mild but for others they can be debilitating coming with a frequency ranging from 12 to 20 times a day. Lasting between 2 and 30 minutes each one ends as rapidly as it began. These unpleasant symptoms can carry on for many years from your last period – sometimes into your 70s and 80s.

Cause and effect
There’s no simple explanation as to the cause of hot flushes. What can be said with certainty is this: there’s a section of the brain, called the hypothalamus, that senses and controls, among other bodily functions, body temperature.

Women have a potent oestrogen sex hormone called estradiol which is the primary female sex hormone. During the menopause estradiol levels fall. It’s not fully understood why it happens but scientists believe that these tumbling estradiol levels cause a glitch in the way the hypothalamus senses body temperature tricking it in too thinking the body is too hot. The result being a triggering of a cool-down response. Extra blood is sent to the skin and the sweat glands go into overdrive bringing about the hot flushes, skin reddening and the menopause sweat.

Trigger Happy
Alongside a confused hypothalamus there are a number of well-known external triggers for hot flushes including woolly jumpers, stress, alcohol and coffee consumption and eating spicy foods. Though they do of course happen anytime and without warning.

Hot flush help
So there’s no denying that menopause symptoms have the potential to be problematic. But there’s much you can do to alleviate the problem. Avoiding the triggers mentioned above can help a great deal. As can a variety of herbal supplements.

Sage
This common garden herb is not just great at flavouring stuffing and pork sausages. Studies have shown it to have astonishing results with menopause symptoms with many women getting a great deal of benefit from it.
A 2011 Swiss study conducted to test the safety and effectiveness of sage as a tonic for hot flushes tested 71 menopausal women. The women, experiencing 5 or more hot flushes daily, were treated daily, for an 8-week period, with a sage supplement. Half of the women involved experienced a significant decrease in their hot flush symptoms after 4 weeks. Of those that persevered for the full 8 weeks, 64% felt benefit. On average the hot flushes decreased every week. What’s more the incidences of severe flushes were eliminated. [1]

The Health4All Sage Strong supplement has been proving popular with our Amazon customers:

Soya Isoflavones
With a supplement made from soya beans the menopause symptoms could be has-beens. Soya isoflavones are plant oestrogens (also known as phytoestrogens) that resemble oestrogen, the female sex hormone.
Studies indicate that isoflavones, especially the compounds genistein and daidzein, are able to mimic oestrogen and restore balance. These clever phytoestrogens attach themselves to your own oestrogen receptors and regulate your body’s oestrogen output. When it’s too low their mild oestrogenic effect gives it a lift. Or, if it’s too high, they bring your oestrogen output down.

Red Clover
Also containing the phytoestrogens genistein and daidzein red clover has been extensively studied.[2]
Indeed, studies carried out by the women’s health initiative examined the effects of the isoflavones contained in supplements made from red clover on menopausal symptoms.  Studying 60 menopausal women aged 40+ the researchers found red clover to significantly decrease menopausal symptoms. [3][/vc_column_text]

References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21630133
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21870906
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16373244[/vc_column_text]

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