Symptoms of Menopause | Living with a hormonal imbalance is difficult and frustrating to say the least. There are many different types of therapies such as hormonal replacement therapy which are designed to help balance your body. However, there is also a natural way to manage your symptoms, and you can do it with food! So before you start any type of synthetic therapy, try the natural way using nature’s own phytoestrogens to help balance your body. Not only is it easy, but it also tasty!
What are phytoestrogens?
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds found in a wide variety of foods. However, most people believe that they are only found in soy products. Phytoestrogens have been studied for years due to its unique ability to mimic the body’s own estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone in the body that helps to regulate many systems including the menstrual cycle, mood, and symptoms of menopause. The reason phytoestrogens are able to mimic estrogen so well is because they have very similar structures allowing it to bind to the body’s own estrogen receptors.
In the body phytoestrogens have an estrogenic effect, which helps to balance hormone levels out. During menopause, when estrogen levels start to decrease, phytoestrogens can help to increase these levels naturally and reduce menopausal symptoms. Natural phytoestrogens, or dietary estrogens are one of the most efficient ways to help increase hormonal levels.
What are the benefits?
Since phytoestrogens have the ability to mimic the body’s own estrogen, this is especially useful for premenopausal women or women going through menopause. Phytoestrogens have been shown to relieve hot flashes, prevent osteoporosis in women, provide menstrual relief, and acne treatment. Eating a diet rich in phytoestrogens may help reduce the symptoms of menopause. While there are many different types of phytoestrogens, the specific phytoestrogens that have been found to be most helpful for balancing hormones is isoflavones, which can be found in soy products and flax seeds.
How to include them in your diet
While phytoestrogens are found in all types of food, there are is one specific phytoestrogen that has been found to be especially helpful for balancing hormones during menopause. This specific phytoestrogen is found abundantly in soy products and flax seeds.
Here is a list of soy food products:
- Organic soy milk
- Organic yogurt
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Edamame beans
- Miso soup
Here are ways to incorporate flax seeds into your diet:
- Sprinkle flax seeds on your yogurt or smoothie
- Make flaxseed crackers
- Sprinkle flax seeds on soups or salads
Other foods that are high in phytoestrogens:
- Sprouts
- Carrots
- Apples
- Pomegranates
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Lentils
- Wheat germ
- Olive oil
- Red wine
- Red clover
If you are concerned that you are suffering from a hormonal imbalance or you are starting to experience menopausal symptoms, consider a consult with a doctor of natural medicine Overland Park, KS, who can assist you. As a specialist in functional medicine, the best treatment plan will be created to help your symptoms of menopause and improve your overall health.
About the author
Dr. Corey Priest has been practicing functional medicine since 2001. in2GREAT was founded in 2014 by Dr Priest after 13 years of experience with his other practices. Over his career, Dr. Priest has worked with and helped well over 10,000 patients under a functional medicine model.