Menopause - Female

Female Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the Ovaries cease to produce an egg cell and therefore Menstruation ceases and the woman is no longer able to become pregnant.  The loss of Oocytes (from the Ovaries) in women is an important trigger for the onset of Female Menopause.

Female Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.  In Western nations, the average age of Female Menopause onset is 51.

Amino Acids

 L-Dopa therapy may reinstate Menstruation in some post-menopausal women (leading some researchers to speculate that this therapy may benefit post-menopausal women). 

Hormones

 DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) may alleviate the symptoms of Female Menopause.  ^[1]

 Female Menopause causes a decline in female production of Estrogens (and it is for this reason that post-menopausal women are often administered exogenous Synthetic Estrogens (this practice known as Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT)):

 Synthetic Estrogens differ in their chemical structure to that of the body’s natural Estrogens and can produce toxic side effects that exceed those of natural, endogenous Estrogens.  For this reason post-menopausal women are advised to consider the use of natural Estrogens in ERT (natural Estrogens are more difficult to procure than Synthetic Estrogens).

 The ideal proportions of Estrogens (natural Estrogens) for post-menopausal women in Estrogen Replacement Therapy may be:

 80% Estriol  ^[2]

 10% Estradiol

 10% Estrone

 Melatonin may counteract some of the negative symptoms associated with Female Menopause.  ^[3]

 The female body's endogenous production of Progesterone falls to zero (or very close to zero) during and for some time prior to Menopause:  ^[4]

 Serum levels of Progesterone in menopausal females are lower than that of males.

 Supplemental, exogenous natural Progesterone can therefore alleviate the discomfort (including the “hot flashes”) experienced by many women prior to, during and immediately following Menopause.

 Small (but biologically significant) quantities of Testosterone are manufactured by the Ovaries up until Menopause - this Ovary-manufactured Testosterone contributes to female Sexual Desire - after Menopause approximately 35% of females have reduced Sexual Desire due to the cessation of Testosterone production by the Ovaries (the other 65% manufacture enough Testosterone in their Adrenal Glands to sustain their Sexual Desire).

Lignans

 Secoisolariciresinol may help to minimize the symptoms of Female Menopause.  ^[5]

Lipids

 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) may reduce the number of hot flashes during Female Menopause.  ^[6]

 Oleanolic Acid may be useful for treating the symptoms of Female Menopause.  ^[7]

Minerals

 Magnesium may alleviate hot flashes (hot flushes) during Female Menopause.  ^[8]

Polyphenols

 Daidzein may alleviate hot flashes (hot flushes) during Female Menopause.  ^[9]

 Equol may alleviate the symptoms of Female Menopause.  ^[10]

 Gamma Oryzanol may minimize the hot flashes and some other symptoms associated with female Menopause.  ^[11]

 Genistein may alleviate many of the side effects (including hot flashes) associated with Female Menopause.  ^[12]

 Hesperidin (900 mg per day) may minimize the hot flashes and other symptoms of female Menopause.  ^[13]

Proteins

 Soy Protein (60 grams per day) may reduce the number of hot flashes experienced by women during Female Menopause.  ^[14]