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Natural Remedies for Hormone Replacement Therapy

It is a common misconception that you need to take Hormone Replacement Therapy when you go through menopause, whether it is expected or premature. There are a lot of natural remedies available to help you manage the decrease of estrogen in your body. These remedies may be helpful in lowering your risk of cancer too.

Many herbs act as estrogen promoters. Black cohosh helps in restoring hormonal balance. Valerian helps with anxiety and tension. Yarrow, golden seal, and periwinkle are good for heavy bleeding, while dandelion works to prevent swelling and water retention. Milk thistle is a good remedy for lumpy and painful breast. Cinnamon works to improve your sexual appetite. Aloe vera helps reduce hot flashes. It also helps you get rid of toxins.

Vitamins and minerals play a key role in easing the symptoms of menopause. Vitamin B-complex works to protect against cancer, headaches, and fatigue among other things. You can take this as a supplement or eat dairy products, eggs, green leafy vegetables, wholegrain cereals and fish. Magnesium, taken with Vitamin B-complex, is great for PMS symptoms. It helps you sleep better too. Good sources of magnesium are soybeans, yeast, whole grains, and legumes.

It is helpful to massage Vitamin E oil on your hysterectomy scar, and sore breast. This relieves itching and discomfort. Vitamin E oil can also be used internally to help with vaginal dryness. You can take capsules (by mouth) that contain a blend of oils for this problem too.

Aromatherapy offers some natural remedies for menopausal symptoms. Clary sage will lift your mood when your hormones are fluctuating. Chamomile helps reduce hot flashes and night sweats. Geranium oil can be used as an aphrodisiac. When you massage fennel on your stomach, water retention may decrease.

It is good to evaluate your diet when you are going through menopause. Too much caffeine, processed food, red meat and sugar can actually make your symptoms more severe. Vegetables, fish, and whole grains help your body adapt to change more easily.

Natural health stores are well stocked with individual remedies that can ease the symptoms of menopause. These items may be sold separately, or you may find one treatment containing several things to ease your discomfort. The clerks at natural health stores are usually knowledgeable. Some will assist you in determining what you need to take for specific issues. They may be able to direct you to some books or web sites that will provide you with more information as well.

Menopause cannot be avoided. While the symptoms of menopause are challenging, they do not have to be accepted as part of growing old. Nature has given us many solutions that will lessen and alleviate the pains associated with hormonal changes. It is up to us to discover and use them.

Resources:
Balch, Phyllis (CNC)& Balch, James (MD), Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Penguin Putnam Inc. 2000
Shealy, C. Norman (MD, PhD): Healing Remedies, Element Books 2002

Learn more about this author, M. J. Joachim.
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