Phytonutrients for Menopause – Hormone Help

A pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition, Patrick Holford talks about how phytonutrients can help balance a woman’s hormones during menopause. His book Balance Your Hormones covers issues including how to reduce your exposure to hormones, why reducing stress and optimizing your diet are vital and the secrets of trouble-free menopause and osteoporosis prevention.

Dealing with menopausal symptoms can be trial and error, and in addition to bioidentical natural hormones there are some traditional remedies that can also help.

Good sources of phytoestrogens include:small amounts of soya, tofu, chickpeas, rye bread, beansprouts, lentils nuts and seeds, green tea, green vegetables, cabbage and peas plus a good variety of fruits and vegetables.

Phytonutrients: how they can help

Patrick Holford outlines six phytonutrient and herbal remedies that can help balance the effects of menopause. They include:

1. Agnus castus
2. Black cohosh and wild yam
3. Dong quai
4. DIM (diindolylmethane)
5. Ginseng and licorice
6. St John’s Wort

The inclusion of the correct phytonutrient foods and herbs may help your body to adapt, thus restoring and maintaining its hormonal balance. Many supplements that are designed to support female health contain combinations of these herbs and are likely to be beneficial; however, I advise that if you are considering taking large amounts of the herbs individually you do so under the guidance of a qualified herbal practitioner.

Source: Phytonutrients – The Hormone Helpers | Bio Hormone Health