LONDON, ENGLAND. "Menopause is not a disease, but a natural event. Yet we insist on treating it with hormone replacement therapy and other pharmaceutical approaches." So says Dr. Marilyn Glenville of the Hale Clinic in London. Dr. Glenville strongly believes that undesirable menopausal symptoms can be dealt with through natural approaches and that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should only be used as a last resort. She points to a study which showed that soya is highly effective in normalizing estrogen levels and reducing hot flushes; soya also contains at least five compounds believed to inhibit cancer. Another study showed that supplementing the normal diet with soya flour (10 grams daily), flax oil (25 grams daily), and red clover sprouts (10 grams daily) helped normalize hormone levels and reduced vaginal dryness and irritation. Supplementing with vitamin-C and vitamin-E helps to control hot flushes as do the herbs agnus castus (vitex) and black cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa). Bone loss often accompanies menopause and can largely be avoided by ensuring an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin-D and by reducing protein intake. It is estimated that for every 10 grams of animal protein consumed 100 mg of calcium is lost in the urine. An adequate intake of magnesium and zinc is also very important in preventing bone loss and osteoporosis. One study found that women with osteoporosis had normal calcium levels, but low levels of magnesium and zinc. Another study showed that women on HRT who also took magnesium increased their bone mineral content by 11 per cent while women taking only HRT showed no improvement. Boron is also important for post-menopausal women. A study carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that women who supplemented with three mg of boron daily reduced the amount of calcium excreted in their urine by 44 per cent. The conclusion of the study was that boron improves the metabolism of calcium and magnesium.
Glenville, Marilyn. HRT is a last resort. International Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Vol. 16, November 1998, pp. 8-10