Menopause and Nutrition

Every woman goes through menopause. It begins around the age of 45 and lasts an average of five to 15 years. During this time, the ovaries go through various phases in which the production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone is increasingly reduced. The adrenal hormone DHEA and the male hormone testosterone, which women also produce in small amounts, as well as the growth hormone HGH, are also produced in dwindling amount over the years.

Alternative to artificial hormones: Phytoestrogens

Estrogen drugs can cause breast cancer. Therefore, they should only be taken in particularly severe cases.

Phytoestrogens are an alternative. They belong to secondary plant substances and are not hormones in the classic sense. However, they are called phytoestrogens because their structure and effect are similar to that of human estrogens, although with weaker effect. Scientific studies show that phytoestrogens can help with menopausal symptoms and protect against breast cancer, heart attacks and osteoporosis. Japanese women, who traditionally eat a lot of soy, which contains a lot of phytoestrogens, have practically no menopausal symptoms and the rate of breast cancer is also much lower than in western Europe and the US.

Caution: If you have breast cancer, avoid foods with a high percentage of phytoestrogens, such as soy products, as they can stimulate tumor growth.