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Menopause is characterized
by three distinct phase; the climacteric, menopause and post
menopause. During the climacteric the estrogen production
by the ovaries start to fail and hormone levels begin to
fluctuate. It is these unpredictable fluctuations rather
than a deficiency of estrogens that are thought to be the
likely cause of many of the classic climacteric symptoms
such as hot flashes, insomnia, irritability and night sweats.
During this period, normally lasting around 4 years, women
use a variety of therapies to modulate hormone fluctua-tion,
such as oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and hormone replacement
therapy (HRT), to help alleviate climacteric symptoms. (Source
American Nursing Association). However, recent data from
the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and the Heart and
Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) suggest that
EPT may be linked with increased risks for coronary heart
disease, breast cancer, thromboembolism, stroke, and dementia.
Thus, phytoestrogens may offer an efficient and safe alternative
to available hormone intervention options. Research has shown
that the lignan metabolite enterolactone acts weakly on the
physiological estrogen balance and as such may offer a natural
alternative to help buffer the hormonal fluctuations during
the menopausal phases and thereby help manage the classical
menopausal symptoms. |
