SEPTEMBER 2007 TIP OF THE MONTH:
Flax Seeds May Reduce Hot Flashes
After the Women's Health Initiative study found an alarming connection between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer in 2002, women who suffer with menopausal symptoms have been seeking safer alternatives. A variety of natural, nonpharmaceutical substances, such as the herb black cohosh has been shown to be helpful for some women. There are two additional natural substances that researchers recently discovered that may provide even greater relief: flax seeds and pine bark.
In a study published in the summer 2007 issue of Journal of the Society of Integrative Oncology, Dr. Sandhya Pruthi and her team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic gave women suffering with hot flashes, 40 grams of crushed flax seeds daily for 6 weeks. The mean decrease in hot flash scores after flaxseed therapy was 57% (median decrease 62%). The mean reduction in daily hot flash frequency was 50% (median reduction 50%), a decrease from approximately 7.3 hot flashes per day to 3.6. The researchers report that women also experienced improvements in mood, joint and muscle pain, and chills and sweats.
Dr. Pruthi stated, "We are quite pleased with the improvements noted by these women in their quality of life. Not only does flaxseed seem to alleviate hot flashes, but it also appears to have overall health and psychological benefits as well."
What makes flaxseed so effective for menopausal symptoms? According to the researchers, it is probably due to its high content of lignans (what Brevail is made of). Lignans are substances with a multitude of health benefits including anticancer and antioxidant properties. They also appear to help regulate feminine hormones.
In a second study released on August 28, 2007, German researchers discovered another natural substance that may help reduce menopausal symptoms: Pine bark. Pycnogenol--found in the extract of pine bark from the French maritime pine tree--was used in a randomized, double blind, placebo control study of 155 perimenopausal women. Each day, patients received either 200 mg of Pycnogenol or placebo. Women taking the Pycnogenol reported significant improvement in body symptoms including hot flashes, depressed mood, memory/concentration, attractiveness, anxiety, sexual desire, sleep problems, and menstrual symptoms. These finding will be published in a future issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
When choosing flaxseed, make sure you purchase fresh organically grown (without pesticides or other harmful chemicals) flaxseeds such as those produced by Barleans. If crushing and eating several tablespoons of flaxseeds every day seems too difficult to incorporate into your daily routine, the benefits of lignans can be easily gained by simply taking one capsule of Brevail a day. Don't underestimate the benefits of natural substances in helping to bring balance back to your body and alleviate symptoms. These two studies beautiful demonstrate just how effective plants can be in restoring health.
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