Perimenopause is the transition period between normal periods and menopause - the complete stopping of a woman's menstruation cycles. The average age of menopause is 51 and perimenopause can begin between 3 to 10 years prior to menopause. It is during this transitional period that the body experiences the most hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations cause the dreaded symptoms of hot flashes, mood swings, irritability, mental fuzziness, headaches, frequent urination, sleeplessness, joint aches as well as symptoms associated with pre-menstrual syndrome.

To combat these symptoms, medications such as Premarin, Progestin and Prempro are prescribed. These drugs which are a combination of estrogen and progesterone aim at supplementing the body's lack of hormone production. In fact synthetic Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) ranks at number 2 for being the most frequently prescribed drug in the US. However synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy is known to have significant risks and side effects

Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is known to raise the risk of heart disease by 29%, strokes and blood clots by 41% and breast cancer by 26%. In fact the planned 8 year Women's Health Initiative study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health was stopped after 5 years when it was found that the risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy to the women in the study, far outweighed the benefits fo the study.

The study involved 16,608 women between 50-79 years old who had an intact uterus. A primary objective of the study was to find if HRT prevents heart disease, hip fractures and risk of breast and colon cancer. In 2002 it was found that the number of women who had developed invasive breast cancer as a result of being on a regimen of estrogen plus progesterone exceeded the limit set by the study. The risks to women in the study was considered so great, that the study was stopped. The report was published as an expedited article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

• Other studies have also shown that HRT with oral estrogens such as Premarin increases the risk of ovarian cancer and gall bladder disease.
• HRT may also cause depression - mainly associated with the use of Progestins.
• HRT may also increase the risk of endometriosis if estrogen is used without Progestin.
• HRT often causes monthly vaginal bleeding

The awareness of herbal alternatives to synthetic HRT is only now catching on. Herbs such as Black Cohosh, Chaste Tree, Chickweed, Evening Primrose Oil, and Fennel are known to help hot flashes and other symptoms of post menopause.

Menosan is a completely natural, herbal Ayurvedic formulation made of herbs such as Ashoka tree (Saraca indica), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosua), Country mallow (Sida cordifolia), Chebulic Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and Indian pennywort (Centella asiatica) along with natural minerals.

Menosan from Himalaya Herbals has been shown to provide benefits during menopause without the associated risks and adverse effects of Synthetic HRT.

Read for more information on Menosan ingredients, benefits and research

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Menopause symptoms relief with herbs & Ayurveda

References:

The Medical Advisor - The complete guide to Alternative & Conventional Treatments

Pub Med

Himalaya Herbals Company

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