Can your diet actually worsen menopause symptoms? A look at how an isoflavone rich diet and supplements, such as Promensil, are safely and effectively relieving symptoms naturally without dangerous side effects.

Menopause. The word is synonymous with night sweats and hot flashes but the information seems to stop there. Although these are common symptoms, every woman experiences it in a unique way. The average age for menopause is 51, however most women will begin to feel a change physically, mentally and emotionally before they even begin to meet the definition of menopause.

The perimenopause period begins when estrogen levels decrease around the age of 35. Estrogen plays a large role in maintaining the health of nearly all tissue in the body, affecting bone density, cholesterol levels, skin quality, cardiovascular health and moods. Without sufficient estrogen, the body suffers from a hormonal imbalance causing hot flashes, night sweats, irregular menstruation, mood swings and irritability. Recent studies suggest that these common issues associated with menopause occur more frequently in Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe than in Asia, Central America and Mediterranean countries.

But why would the body deprive women of something so crucial to their health? The regional discrepancy of health issues linked to menopause suggests that the answer lies in the diet. The Western diet has shifted towards a more meat and dairy focused diet as opposed to the legume-based diet our ancestors and women in Asia, Central American and Mediterranean countries enjoy. Legumes are rich in isoflavones from the group phytoestrogen (plant estrogen), which are able to closely mimic the effects of estrogen that women naturally produce.

The Asian, Central American and Mediterranean diets consist of 30-50mg of isoflavones every day while the Western Diet contains only a few milligrams. You can see the connection when you compare women?s consumption of isoflavones vs. the frequency of hot flashes in women from various countries. Japanese women experience significantly less hot flashes than their European counterpart. Women from countries with diets rich in isoflavones, such as Asia, experience fewer hot flashes during menopause and have lower levels of osteoporosis.

All legumes are not created equally when it comes to isoflavones. There are more than 1,000 types of isoflavones in plants, however only four have been shown to possess significant individual and specific biological activity: genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin A. Not every legume carries all four isoflavones beneficial to women. Soy only contains two: daidzein and genistein. Red clover contains all four isoflavones as well as ten to twenty times the quantity of isoflavones found in soy, which is the next richest source.

Those looking for a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy have embraced supplements that are based on the isoflavone rich diet. Promensil provides the same amount of isoflavones as the typical legume-based vegetarian diet; eight times more than the average North American diet, all in one tablet. Based around red clover to provide all four necessary isoflavones, Promensil users experienced slowed bone loss, less frequent hot flashes and night sweats, improved arterial compliance (elasticity) and a general decrease in menopausal symptoms.

The transition to post menopause can be a long and somewhat frustrating journey, but there is help and support out there. Women are more vocal about their experiences, and demand treatment that is safe, effective and natural. Promensil?s extensive testing has proven that natural supplements can be just that and without the side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy. Menopause treatment should be about making women feel like women, naturally.

Resources:
Novogen, the makers of Promensil, is an Australia based company that provides natural, safe and effective menopause treatments. To learn more about Promensil, please check out the website Promensil.ca