| |
On this page:
Assisting in Managing Menopause Naturally
Novogen Redclover assists you to manage your menopause as nature intended - with a natural source of plant oestrogens (phytoestrogens) called isoflavones.
The Importance of Oestrogen
Oestrogens play a vital role in maintaining a woman's health and well-being over her lifetime. Around the age of 35, a woman's own production of oestrogens may slow. This is a challenging time for many women and the maintenance of lifestyle, well-being and normal body function is important to the enjoyment of this stage of life. The effects of giving supplemental oestrogens are well known. They help relieve the symptoms of menopause, maintain healthy bones, as well as healthy cholesterol levels. They maintain arterial wall elasticity, the feel and appearance of the skin, normal mood and emotions, and the ability to concentrate.
A Dietary Connection
If oestrogens are so important to a woman's health, why would nature purposely deprive the body of them?
Why is the incidence of conditions related to oestrogen deficiency, such as menopause symptoms, apparently far greater in women in Australia, North America and Western Europe compared to women in Asian, Central American, and Mediterranean countries?
Scientific research suggests that the answers may lie in our diet. Nature didn't get it wrong. Many of us in the West changed our diet away from the type of diet our ancestors ate--the same type of diet typically still eaten in Asian, Central American, and Mediterranean countries. A key factor in traditional Eastern diets is that they contain greater quantities of legumes which are rich in a group of phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) called isoflavones 1.
These isoflavones are able to mimic the effects of oestrogens because their structures are remarkably close to those of human oestrogens and the body accepts them as such. When oestrogen levels start to decline, a woman can feel very unlike her normal self.
Safe, Natural Dietary Approach
Asian, Mediterranean and Latin American communities consume on average 30-50mg of isoflavones each day while it is estimated that women from Western countries, such as Australia, consume only a few milligrams of isoflavones daily 2. Asian type diets have traditionally included legumes rich in isoflavones such as lentils and soy. Legumes are a major source of protein in these countries while meat and dairy products have become a major source of protein in Western diet. Studies now indicate a role for diet in reducing menopausal symptoms, particularly an Asian diet abundant in isoflavones 3, 4.
|
• Rekers H. Burger HG, Boulet MJ, editors. A Portrait of Menopause. Parkridge, New Jersey: The Parthenon Publishing Group; 1991; p. 23-43.
• Ismael NN. A study on the menopause in Malaysia. Maturitas 1994;19(3):205-9.
• Tang GW. The climacteric of Chinese factory workers. Maturitas 1994;19(3):177-82. |
|
|
| Women from countries with diets rich in isoflavones, such as Asia, experience fewer hot flushes during menopause. |
More than 1,000 isoflavones have been identified in plants. Of these, four specific isoflavones have been shown to possess significant individual and specific biological activity. These are: genistein, daidzein, formonentin and biochanin A.
What are the dietary sources of isoflavones?
Isoflavones are found mainly in legumes, such as red clover, lentils, split peas, chick peas, broad beans and soy. However, not all legumes contain all four important isoflavones. For example, red clover contains all four isoflavones whereas soy contains only the two isoflavones daidzein and genistein. The isoflavone content of food also varies, for example red clover also contains 10 to 20 times the quantity of isoflavones found in soy.
|
| Adapted from Reinli K, Block G. "Phytoestrogens Content of Foods - A Compendium of Literature Values", Nutr. Cancer 26 (2): 123-148, (1996). Data on file. |
|
|
How can women improve their consumption of these four important isoflavones?
It is suggested that two or more servings of food high in isoflavones are required each day to achieve an intake similar to that of traditional Asian diet. As not all legumes contain all four isoflavones people need to consume a wide range of legumes on a regular basis.
For people accustomed to a Western diet, it may be difficult to increase isoflavone intake to the recommended levels with dietary changes alone. It may be hard for some people to consume the quantity of legumes required and to become accustomed to the taste and texture of these foods.
An alternative approach is to complement a healthy diet and lifestyle with Novogen Redclover, a standardised dietary supplement, containing all four biologically important isoflavones.
References:
 |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Bjorn I, Blackstron T. Maturitas 1999; 32:77-86. |
| 2 |
Kimira M et al. 'Japanese intake of flavonoids and isoflavonoids from foods.' J Epidemiol 1998; 8:168-175. |
| 3 |
Adlercreutz H et al. 'Dietary phytoestrogens and the menopause in Japan'. Lancet 1992; 339 (8803):1233 |
| 4 |
Knight DC and Eden JA. 'A review of the clinical effects of phytoestrogens'. Obstet Gynecol 1996; 87 (5 Pt 2; 897 - 904. |
|
|
