In light of the recent findings on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) many women find themselves with a big question about taking a little pill.

A large, federally funded clinical trial, part of a group of studies called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), has definitively shown for the first time that the hormones in question – estrogen and progestin – are not the age-defying wonder drugs everyone thought they were. As if that weren’t bad enough, the results proved that taking these hormones together for more than a few years actually increases a woman’s risk of developing potentially deadly cardiovascular problems and invasive breast cancer, among other things. The principal message was taking estrogen and progestin for years in the hope of preventing a heart attack or stroke can no longer be considered a valid medical strategy.

Here at last was a rare moment of clarity. The debate over the long-term benefits and risks of HRT has lasted for decades. Now we have at least a few concrete answers. This wasn’t just another isolated study contradicting the last one to make headlines. Federal health officials announced that the jury was finally in-and that the drug Prempro (a combination of estrogen and progestin) does significantly more harm than good when taken for long periods of time. Women have been told for decades that estrogen taken with progestin would not only ease hot flashes and insomnia but help preserve bone strength, mental acuity and, most important, heart health. There’s no question that HRT can ease the acute symptoms of menopause, and the claim about bone strength has held up to scrutiny. But after observing more than 16,000 women for roughly five years, researchers found conclusively that the hormones in Prempro raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer. The federally sponsored study was supposed to run for eight years, but the five-year results were so decisive that researchers cut it short and urged the participants to stop taking their pills.

The findings are so striking that the study was stopped three years short of its scheduled completion.  With more than an estimated 13.5 million U.S. Women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, and to protect against bone-thinning osteoporosis, it’s no wonder the news caused such gasps and the talk hasn’t stopped since. Women across the U.S. immediately called their doctors, mothers, daughters, and friends, questioning whether they should still be taking their pills and what, if any, are their alternatives?

Why HRT in the first place?

For decades, millions of women have been told that HRT is a veritable fountain of youth. More than 40% of all women in the U.S. start some form of HRT in their menopause years. Although it is estimated 50% of the women on HRT discontinue it within the first year, many continue it well into their 70s and 80s, convinced that the little pills will stave off aging and a host of other health concerns.

Once upon a time the concept of menopause and its symptoms were almost unheard of because the vast majority of women rarely lived long enough to experience them.  And, for the women who did survive, menopause was seen as a marker for imminent and inevitable physical decline.  Until the early 1900’s that is, when it was first discovered that extracts from pigs’ ovaries could “put off old age for a score of years,” or at least “mitigate its effects when it has asserted itself with all its terrors.” By the early 1940s, drug makers were mass-producing estrogen from pregnant mares’ urine (hence the brand name Premarin). And by 1960 the New England Journal of Medicine was commending the drug for “everyone with evidence of an estrogen lack”- which is to say virtually every woman over 50.

Over the years the medical arguments for prescribing estrogen may have changed, but the idea that a single pill might turn back the clock still holds promise to many.  Last year U.S. pharmacists filled some 45 million prescriptions for Premarin and an additional 22 million for Prempro, which consists of the same drug with added progestin.

Menopause is not a disease – why do we treat it as one?
Perhaps the real question we need to answer is – is it time to stop treating menopause as a disease, and to look at it as a natural, normal, physiological process. The idea that our bodies fail us at menopause is ludicrous, sexist and just plain wrong.  And yes, for many there are undeniable unpleasant symptoms that go along with it.  But wouldn’t it be more appropriate to treat those symptoms, perhaps even naturally, rather than treat menopause as a medical condition requiring pharmaceuticals?

What are the alternatives?

For millions of women, the question of whether to take hormone replacement therapy after menopause just got more confusing. And the thought of quitting HRT if it has successfully mitigated symptoms can be a scary thought. If you’re using HRT in hopes it will protect your heart, prevent osteoporosis or relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, memory loss, vaginal dryness and declining libido, you will be happy to know that many women have found tremendous success in a more holistic approach of herbs and nutritional supplements, whole foods – particularly soy, and exercise.

Herbs -Vitamins

Long before Premarin, women sought relief through herbal remedies. A basic regimen of vitamins, minerals and a few herbs work very well to relieve the symptoms of menopause.  Every woman has different needs, but basically a program that includes calcium, magnesium, black cohosh, vitex (chaste berry) dong qui and sometimes low-dose DHEA and perhaps St. John’s wort work very well in controlling the symptoms of menopause.
Dong quai, an adoptogenic, balances hormones.  Vitex or Chaste Berry has been used for decades to regulate estrogen and progesterone production by working through the pituitary gland.  Black cohosh has been the menopausal “tonic” of Native Americans throughout history.  Studies have shown, black cohosh extract, to provide as much symptomatic relief as Premarin. DHEA can help with decreased libido and overall declining energy levels and St. John’s wort can help combat depression and mood swings.

Building Bone/Preventing Osteoporosis

In dealing with supplementation for women at any age, preserving and building bone density should always be considered. Unfortunately, only about 11% of women get adequate calcium everyday. Studies have clearly shown the importance of Calcium in building and preserving bone. Magnesium deficiency is as much a problem in bone health as inadequate calcium.  Again, more than 80% of American women are magnesium deficient, and because calcium and magnesium work in balance with each other, it is important to supplement these together.  Supplemental Vitamin D is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium, and Boron has also been shown to have bone-building properties.

Numerous studies have also shown ipriflavone to be particularly useful in the treatment of low bone density and osteoperosis.  Ipriflavone, a derivative of the soy isoflavone diadzein not only prevents a type of bone cell called osteoclasts from breaking down bone, but also stimulates other bone cells, osteoblasts, to build new bone. Ostevone, the branded Ipriflavone I recommend, has been chemically shown to rival their not so healthful pharmaceutical counterparts, and without the devastating side effects.

Foods and Phytonutrients

Perhaps not as easy as swallowing a pill, eating a healthier diet can significantly ease the transition through menopause, as well as provide additional benefits in treating or preventing other illnesses.

Current research points to the role of phytoestrogens (phyto  means plant), natural plant hormones that provide a mild estrogenic activity in the body. By incorporating foods high in these into your diet, not only do you ease symptoms of menopause, they also provide the added benefits of reducing your risk of heart disease – still the leading cause of death for older women.

Soy

When it comes to easing menopause symptoms, soy seems nothing less than a wonder food.  A number of recent studies have found soy foods to reduce these symptoms due to the powerful phytoestrogens called isoflavones that they contain. Soy is what is known as an “adaptogenic” – the phytoestrogens genistein and diadzein in soy can have an estrogen like effect if your estrogen levels are low, and will actually bind to estrogen receptor sites and block estrogen if levels are too high.  For this reason, soy is a great natural way to balance hormone levels and can be used as a safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy, offering most of the benefits, without the risks or side effects. Other studies have also suggested that these same isoflavones can increase bone mass and reduce cholesterol levels – two other main concerns for menopausal women. Functional soy beverages like OptiPRO S have been specifically formulated with high standardized levels of isoflavones, calcium, magnesium, boron, selenium and specialized enzymes to provide one of the simplest, easiest ways to mitigate symptoms, while protecting cardiovascular health, bone density, lower cancer risk, and manage weight.

Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains – It’s important to make sure your diet includes plenty of phytonutrient rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Phytoestrogens can be found in apples, carrots, plums, peas, green beans, barley, oats and rye.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli contain the powerful phyochemical indole-3-carbinol, shown to convert powerful estrogens in the body to weaker, less carcinogenic ones.  Citrus fruits and other foods high in biflavonoids, such as blueberries, cherries and grapes are also particularly beneficial.

Biflavonoids not only strengthen the circulatory system, which is helpful in treating hot flashes, menstrual flow and varicose veins, but they are also powerful anti-oxidants useful in the prevention of cancer.

Flax seed is one of the richest sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids as well as one of the best sources of a form of phytoestrogen called lignans.

Lignans have been shown to reduce hot flashes and are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, lowering cholesterol levels and promoting breast and vaginal health.

Exercise

There’s no better natural way to treat both the physical, as well as the emotional, symptoms of menopause than with exercise.  Exercise relieves stress, which is known to exacerbate symptoms, not to mention improves mood, builds strength, helps control weight, and increases bone density.

In light of the recent findings, some physicians will change their thinking dramatically; others will not change at all and will be as proactive for HRT as they’ve ever been.  One thing is for sure, however, it’s time for women to take responsibility for their own bodies and how to best protect themselves from osteoporosis and other ravages of age without resorting to old-fashioned hormones.  The world of menopause management is in for some big changes, and the age of estrogen, without question, is over.

More than 60 million Americans experience acid indigestion, or heartburn, and spend literally billions of dollars on pharmaceuticals in an attempt to ease their burning pain.

Over 8 billion dollars is spent annually on drugs to relieve indigestion, with additional billions spent annually advertising those drugs.  In fact, in 1999, Prilosec, a powerful acid suppressing drug, surpassed Prozac and Premarin as the top selling prescription medication in the United States.

Clearly America is experiencing an epidemic of gastrointestinal disorders.

So why does it seem necessary to spend billions of dollars taking countless medications to coax our gastrointestinal system into doing what it’s supposed to do.  Digestion is a complex process that is both mechanical and chemical.  It involves and relies upon the proper functioning of the mechanical processes of grinding, churning, pumping, squeezing, valves and gates opening and closing, as well as the chemical processes of the secretion of enzymes and the breakdown of nutrients to be absorbed and utilized. When any part of this process malfunctions, indigestion of some sort may occur.  Factors such as the foods we eat, how much we eat, drinking too much with our meals and smoking all can contribute to the disruption of proper digestion.

Indigestion refers to any number of gastrointestinal complaints, which can include anything from gas, belching, bloating, and flatulence, to heartburn, which is the pain caused by the backing up of hydrochloric acid from the stomach into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.  The hydrochloric acid in stomach fluid helps to breakdown and digest the food we eat as well as prevent the growth of bacteria in our stomach and intestines. Hydrochloric acid is very strong and corrosive, and while the stomach has a special lining to protect it, the esophagus does not. When this potent stomach acid accidentally backs up into the esophagus, the result is burning pain.

This accidental backing up of hydrochloric acid into the esophagus is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle at the end of the esophagus, doesn’t function properly.  The LES is the stomach’s gatekeeper and uses pressure to open and close.  When food travels from the mouth down through the esophagus the LES opens allowing food to enter the stomach then closes keeping it from going back up the esophagus.  When the LES opens at the wrong time hydrochloric acid and other stomach fluids back up into the esophagus.  The result — heartburn.  Persistent heartburn may be a more serious problem known as GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease which can, over time, erode the delicate lining of the esophagus and increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer as well as cancer of the larynx and throat.

So how do we eliminate these worrisome and potentially hazardous digestive disorders and live symptom free without harsh drugs or extraordinary medical intervention?  Simple changes in habits and diet, such as making better food choices, considering portion size, quitting smoking and limiting coffee and alcohol can have a profound effect on relieving simple digestive disorders.  And while taking antacids and heartburn medications may seem easier and provide temporary relief, they do not cure the problem and come with many severe side effects. Inhibiting or shutting down the production of hydrochloric acid can actually cause serious long-term problems such as interference with the absorption of important nutrients, such as calcium, increased vulnerability to bacteria in the stomach and food poisoning, and even acid rebound, where the stomach tries to produce even more acid to do its job.  Too little stomach acid actually creates an environment where food cannot be completely digested, and further down the digestive tract, cause symptoms such as gas, belching and bloating, which in turn brings on the repeated use of antacids thus the cycle of antacid addiction.

What we choose to eat can play the most fundamental role in breaking this cycle and restoring digestive health. A balanced diet, complete with essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids is critical not only to digestive health, but processes and functions in our bodies, as well as our overall vitality and sense of well being.  A simple approach to a balanced diet is choosing foods proportionately from three categories of foods – Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.  The Primary group is the one that comprises the majority of your dietary choices.  These are whole grain foods and proteins. The best choice of proteins are from lean animal sources, soy protein foods, such as tofu, tempeh, soy burgers and dogs and the growing number of tasty soy food products on the market today, as well as beans, but to a much lesser extent. Next, are the Secondary foods, which consists of seasonal fresh vegetables.  Finally, there are the tertiary foods, such as dairy, eggs, and fruits, as well as unsaturated fats.  Unfortunately, the typical American diet bears little resemblance to such balanced nutrition, with over processed, over refined carbohydrates, consisting of little more than sugar, completely lacking in fiber and important minerals, and saturated, or worse trans-saturated fats, occupying staple positions.  And, the availability of these nutritionally empty and potentially harmful foods is far more abundant than their healthful counter parts. This, coupled with the lack of critical nutrients without supplementation, contributes significantly to America’s disordered digestive situation.

Not only what we eat, but how we eat it plays a role in relieving indigestion. Portion control is also important, as large portions of any foods can overfill the stomach and force stomach acid past the LES, causing heartburn.

Even something as simple as practicing the lost art of chewing is an important first step on the road to recovering digestive health.  By skimping on this first, most important step in digestion, we fail to adequately start the digestive process not only mechanically by the lack of grinding our food, but chemically by limiting the exposure of our food to the digestive enzyme amylase which is contained in saliva.  By the time our food hits our stomach it then requires additional digestive enzymes to further break it down.  This, combined with the fact that as we age the amount of digestive enzymes we produce decreases, creates a prime environment for indigestion.  Supplementing with digestive enzymes can significantly improve the breakdown and absorption of our foods and nutrients. Look for full spectrum vegetarian enzyme, such as in nZymax, which works in all Ph ranges to break down all food groups – proteins, carbohydrates, fats, dairy, and even fibrous vegetables, seeds, sprouts, and beans. The mere addition of a digestive enzyme such as this often eliminates many digestive disorders.

Herbs are also a useful way to supplement our diet, providing not only important and often deficient nutrients, but also improved assimilation of those vital nutrients.  One simple (and tasty) method of doing this is by way of common kitchen spices and culinary herbs.  Most herbal spices are carminatives, herbs that stimulate and aid in the digestive process and subsequently relieve gas and bloating.  Basil, ginger, bay, garlic, dill, oregano, sage, thyme, cloves, cumin, fennel, cardamom and caraway are all tasty spices that can help with digestion.  Parsley, dandelion, alfalfa, yellow dock and seaweeds are all important for adding important vitamins and nutrients to your foods.

While cooking with herbs provides an easy means of including these digestive and nutritive aids to your diet, additional herbal support may be necessary to repair or restore digestive function.  There are numerous useful herbs for digestion.  Papaya, ginger root, peppermint, fennel seed, goldenseal, licorice, and gentian are but a few.  These are often commercially packaged as single herbs or herbal formulas, sold as either capsules or tinctures.  While this is certainly the mostconvenient method of supplementation, it can be the most disappointing.  It is important to understand that many companies package herbal products with little to none of their active ingredients present in them, and frequently the dosage is significantly less than an efficacious amount.  Where and from whom your purchase your herbs is also of utmost concern.  Whether commercially prepared or in bulk, the standardization is important if you expect results. Combining several of these herbs, such as peppermint and papaya leaves with ginger root, catnip, fennel seed and saw palmetto berries in some type of infusion device to make an herbal tea is fairly simple and proves quite beneficial as a digestive aid when sipped prior to and after a meal.

Additionally, FOS (fructooligosaccharides), and acidophilus may prove beneficial to improving digestion.  Including cultured friendly flora containing foods, such as yogurt or kefir have also been helpful in improving digestive function.  Compounds like DGL, the deglycyrrhized form of licorice, and d-limonene, from orange peel extract, can actually repair damage causes by chronic digestive disorders and help you maintain a symptom free lifestyle.

By incorporating these herbal, supplemental and nutritional therapies in our fight against heartburn and indigestion, we are providing our bodies the best treatment possible – one that restores the body to its normal function, rather than one that interferes with it.