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Home | Health & Fitness | Alternative Medicine


Women's Options to HRT

By: Sandra Oriel
 

Women face a change in hormonal levels throughout life from the dramatic changes of puberty to the symptoms of the perimenopause as these levels decline. Each month the hormones surge and wane during the monthly menstrual cycle with quiet noticeable impact. As a result, a great many women want solutions to these changes and more and more want a more natural solution than popping hormone pills.

Estrogen hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) was once thought to be the fountain of youth and powerful drugs were marketed with glowing promises of being 'forever female'. They were effective in relieving PMS and menopause symptoms as well as helping to avoid osteoporosis, but with time we learned they came with a price.

Cancer of the female reproductive system can often be of great concern for women. One in ten will have breast cancer alone in their lifetime. Artificial hormone replacement therapies sometimes make a woman feel better but also come along with the significantly raising their cancer risk. Some physicians and patients stop hormone replacement thearapy and continue to treat their symptoms in safer ways.

In early centuries, hormone replacement did not exist, and women found natural substances to treat their discomfort. Asian women consumed far more soy bean products than Western Women, for example, and consequently have only 10%-20% as many hot flashes. Soy isofavones work as a substitute to estrogen and make an excellent alternative to HRT.

Other herbs used in traditional medicine by Native Americans help as well. For example, red clover decreases frequency and severity of hot flashes, and black cohosh relieves cramps, bloating, and other PMS complaints. Both of these herbs have been used in natural HRT alternative treatments.

The first oral contraceptives were derived from wild yam extracts; wild yams function as natural estrogen. Nowadays, the wild yam has been tapped by those looking for natural or herbal hormone replacement therapy as an item to include in their holistic remedies.

While one should always discuss alternative therapies with a doctor, there are many, often times safer, alternatives to hormone replacement therapy for women undergoing hormone changes. In fact, plant-based estrogen is one example of a treatment that is non-prescription and works as effectively as its prescription alternatives. These natural treatments are often combined with other natural products to provide maximum effectiveness and can be used to fight fluid retentions and cramping.

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Women deal with a constant hormonal change throughout their lives. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had been used to alleviate symptoms of hormone level changes, it was found that the same therapies increased the risk of breast cancer in the women who used them. Despite the symptoms they were experiencing, most women gave up the use of HRT for safer alternatives due to a fear of female reproductive cancers. Red clover decreases frequency and severity of hot flashes, and black cohosh relieves cramps, bloating, and other PMS complaints. While not for everyone, estrogen herbs will work as well as prescription medications for some women, with less side effects and risk. Women are forced to deal with a constant hormonal change throughout their lives. It was once thought hormone replacement therapy would be a panacea for women of all ages. For some women, estrogen herbs will work as well as prescription medications with fewer side effects and risk. Other herbs used in traditional medicine by Native Americans help as well. The most effective supplements contain mixtures of natural extracts that will work together for the most effective relief. For example, red clover decreases frequency and severity of hot flashes, and black cohosh relieves cramps, bloating, and other PMS complaints. Hormone replacement therapy is used to help regulate the fluctuations of hormones women deal with all their lives, however, it is now known that HRT increases the risk of developing breast cancer, so women are looking to more natural alternatives, like estrogen herbs. Soy contains isofavones that act as a substitute to estrogen and thus is a good natural alternative. Asian women, who consume a lot of soy, have 10-20% fewer hot flashes than Western women. Herbs such as red clover and black cohosh relieve PMS symptoms like bloating and cramps. Natural wild yam extract acts as natural estrogen. Throughout their lives women go through constant hormonal changes. It was once thought hormone replacement therapy would cure this for women of all ages, but it was found to increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Long ago, women used more natural substances to treat their discomfort. Black cohosh, for example, was used to relieve cramps, bloating and other PMS symptoms. There are many natural compounds and extracts that reduce effects associated with cramping. Some women find that estrogen herbs can be just as effective as prescription medications, with less risk.

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