Natural Remedies

I was surprised to read Dr. Andrew Weil’s comments about the fallacies of taking some natural remedies to alleviate menopausal symptoms in his “Dr. Debunker” column in the latest issue of AARP Magazine. After all, isn’t he known as a leading proponent of natural medicine? [click to continue...]

I guess if ED can be talked about in TV ads, so can menopause. The company that makes Estroven, a natural OTC supplement that claims to alleviate menopausal symptoms, will soon launch a $20 million TV, print and online advertising campaign beckoning us to visit Menopauseland. They describe it as a “cool and calming destination… lush instead of flushed,”  presumably where you can enjoy life symptom free - if you take Estroven, that is. [click to continue...]

If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms typically associated with estrogen deficiency, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and food cravings, you may want to try increasing the amount of plant-based hormones – or phytoestrogens - in your diet.  Phytoestrogens are chemicals that are found in plants that may act like the estrogen produced naturally in the body.  Consider adding these foods to your weekly visit to the farmers market or grocery store. [click to continue...]

Last weekend, while shopping at Costco, I purchased a 40-oz container of organic, cold-milled, quadruple-cleaned, ground, golden flax seed with 2700 mg of Omega 3 and 800 mg of Omega-6 per serving of two tablespoons. Was this typical of all flax seed brands? Or, had I stumbled upon a super, high-quality processor?  I purchased it and called the manufacturer’s toll-free number to find out. [click to continue...]

Vitamin D is one of 13 vitamins our bodies need to function properly, according to the American Dietetic Association. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and helps deposit these minerals in bones and teeth to make them strong. It’s so important to our well-being that a group of prominent scientists have formed The Vitamin D Council, a non-profit organization with a mission to educate the public and professionals about Vitamin D deficiency and its numerous associated diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, depression). [click to continue...]

I mentioned several weeks ago that I had begun a daily regimen of Black Cohosh, Flax Seed and Fish Oil.  I’m happy to report that the hot flashes that I had been experiencing for more than a year have completely stopped.  Based on everything I’ve read, I  attributed this to the Black Cohosh, while the Flax Seeds have undoubtedly benefited me in other ways.  But a new study suggests that it could have been the flax seed after all.  [click to continue...]

In my interview with Shaila Schwartz, a Naturopathic Doctor in San Francisco, I asked her about botanical medicines that she has found to be most helpful with her patients.  Her response follows: [click to continue...]

Shaila Schwartz, a naturopathic doctor in San Francisco recommends ways you can minimize these common effects of menopause:  [click to continue...]

In previous posts, I’ve written about my decision to forego synthetic hormone replacement therapy and try instead, a natural approach.  Both my general internist and gynecologist told me that for most women, natural, botanical products don’t alleviate menopausal symptoms, but I had heard enough anecdotal evidence from friends and friends of friends to want to try it.  [click to continue...]