Finding a balance

CAROL and Min, both in their 50s, have been best friends since primary school.

So it was not surprising that Carol confided in Min about how she had been feeling tired lately, gaining a lot of weight and could barely bear the heat.

She had also been picking fights with her husband and teenage children, and had not had her period for six months, leading her to wonder if she was in menopause.

Menopause does not happen overnight. It is established only when a woman has not had her periods for 12 consecutive months.

The time before menopause, known as perimenopause, corresponds to a time when hormonal changes are most significant, after her adolescent years, as the hormone estrogen fluctuates in a downward trend.

These hormonal fluctuations will in turn lead to various physical and emotional symptoms such as dull, dry skin or breakouts, body aches and pains, intolerance to heat (mini hot flushes), weight gain, poor memory, mood changes and anxiety.

As such, it is important for women to provide their bodies with the support that it needs so that it can cope when hormonal changes occur.

Drugs or chemical type hormone replacement therapies are not a solution, as these can only add hormones to the body but not regulate when estrogen levels are high.

Thankfully, nature has an answer in the form of plant-based phytoestrogens which have the ability to mimic the actions of estrogen in the body.

Soy isoflavones comprise the best researched group of phytoestrogens used to support hormonal imbalances issues.

Here are some tips on finding a quality soy isoflavone product:

Choose organic: More than 80% of soy products in the market are genetically-modified (GMO). So look for organicallysourced soy isoflavones. You don’t need additional chemicals in your hormonal care.

Active ingredients: Look also for the active ingredients genistein and diadzein, as these are the clinically proven isoflavones found to benefit feminine well-being.

Double standardisation: Most soy extracts are standardised to about 40% of soy isoflavones but this isn’t enough. Choose a formula, which additionally standardises the active ingredients and can be utilised with confidence for optimal benefits.

When a woman’s body is nourished by soy isoflavones, her hormonal balance would be optimal, translating to more energy, better moods, fewer body temperature imbalances, healthier skin, better management of body weight and greater feelings of calm and wellness.

Min had gone through a similar situation as Carol, more than a year earlier. She encouraged Carol to try organic genistein soy isoflavones herself.

After three months, Carol’s period had returned, she was feeling more energetic and also sleeping much better.

This article is brought to you by Nuvanta’s Nuv a c e u t i c a l s ® division. For more, call 03-5636 3758 or email pharmacist@ nuvanta. com.