Menopause is a transition in a woman’s life which can sometimes be difficult to deal with. The woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs and her periods come less frequently, eventually stopping completely. Though this “change in life” is entirely natural and to be expected, some women have more difficult experiences with the change than others because their bodies are producing less estrogen and progesterone now that they are no longer in their child-bearing years. Menopause typically occurs in women between the ages of 45 to 55. Symptoms include hot flashes, mood swings, irregular periods, depression, and more. Fortunately, there are many remedies that can help you deal with menopause.

For years, doctors recommended Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT, as the cure for menopause. However, long term studies have demonstrated that HRT is not always the best option for the treatment of menopause. Estrogen used to be routinely prescribed but now, due to severe side effects, doctors recommend using the lowest dose possible to relieve symptoms. Another form of HRT, combination therapy, uses a combination of estrogen and progesterone to treat menopause. Examples are Activella, FemHRT, and Prempro.

Variations on these treatments are available. For instance, you can use a substance called progesterone, which is a cream produced from a plant. This cream serves as a natural hormone replacement therapy. There is also a therapeutic dose of artificial progesterone, available by prescription, from your gynecologist. This substance, available in pill form known as Progestogen has sometimes produce severe side effects, though. For instance, Progestogen may cause fluid retention which can result in cardiac or renal dysfunction. Blood clots may develop, and these can lead to strokes or heart attacks. Lesser side effects, which can certainly seem severe, include diarrhea, decreased libido, increased appetite, depression and forgetfulness. And research has demonstrated an increased risk for endometrial cancer. Sometimes it seems the cure is worse than the disease!

There are a few natural cures that seem to be very effective in reducing the symptoms of menopause. Plants that contain natural estrogens can be very helpful if you use them to ramp up your diet. For instance, try increasing your intake of soybeans, sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, olive oil and even beets. The advantage to these substances is, they have no side effects, so you have nothing to lose by trying them. Evening primrose oil, taken in 800 mg doses three times a day, is another option. But perhaps the best know natural cure is black cohosh, which is a member of the buttercup family. Black cohosh has few side effects and is known to eliminate hot flashes. Red clover has also been shown to reduce menopausal symptoms, thought it hasn’t been studied as thoroughly as black cohosh.

In addition, menopausal women are advised to make significant lifestyle changes that can improve their ability to deal with symptoms. For instance, while increasing your soy intake, it is advisable to limit your intake of caffeine and carbonated beverages. You should also avoid meat products that contain high levels of saturated fats such as beef and pork, because these decrease your body’s ability to metabolize estrogen. And avoid sweets since sugar can cause similar problems. Finally, it has been recommended that women increase their daily amounts of exercise. Regular exercise can help reduce bone loss associated with menopause, and has been shown to increase a woman’s sense of well-being, help reduce her risk of developing cancer, and lower the incidence of heart disease.