Women’s Health These Days and Beyond
With an active lifestyle and family to take care of, women often find themselves fatigued, stressed and susceptible to illness. This is even more reason for women to prioritise their health and modify their lifestyle to ensure they maintain optimal health from their 20s to their 80s and beyond.
Managing PMS…
Issues such as Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) affect over 70% of women world-over, which has more than doubled over the past 50 years. Nutritional supplements have been shown to be helpful in managing symptoms.
Managing Menopause…
Most women reach menopause between the ages of 48 to 55, when their body undergoes gradual changes over 2 to 6 years, when symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, aches and pains, itching sensations, headaches, tiredness, irritability, depression, sleeping difficulty, among many others occur. 20% experience no symptoms; 60% have mild symptoms; and 20% seek help for severe symptoms.
Good nutrition and a balanced diet will help ease the symptoms of menopause by supplying a changing body with nutrients necessary for optimal health throughout this transitional phase.
Multiple lifestyle factors, including the food we eat, are related to good health and protect against disease. Improving diet at any stage of life will result in health benefits. As well as their estrogenic action, phytoestrogen food sources also offer other nutritional benefits including protein, fibre, and vitamins and minerals.
There are also several herbs that can be of great benefit to women’s health. Some of them are…
Black Cohosh is a herb with many uses. It is a muscle and nerve relaxant, and it is also a phytoestrogen. This herb can soothe irritated or congested uterine, cervical, or vaginal tissues and can also relieve hot flushes, headaches and swelling.
Dong Quai is a herb that contains vitamin E, and as some its many benefits, it purifies the blood, is an anti-coagulant, an anti-spasmodic, a blood tonic, an emmenagogue, a muscle relaxant and a nervine. It helps regulate the menstrual cycle, build the blood, ease cramping and soothe the emotional feelings that may be felt over a period.
Licorice-root contains many anti-depressant compounds and is a valuable herb for treating a host of ailments. The phytoestrogens in licorice have a mild estrogenic effect, making the herb potentially useful in easing certain symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and Menopause.
Chasteberry – Studies suggest that chasteberry has a progesterone-like effect, which may account for its use in the support of women’s health. Because of this activity, chasteberry is seen to be useful to alleviate the symptoms of a variety of female complaints, such as PMS and Menopause.
Poor nutrition, eating habits and lifestyle have a direct impact on our health and can stop us from functioning at our best. So give yourself a comprehensive all-natural formulation which addresses women’s health issues and keeps you functioning at your best.
Further Reading:
http://www.medicinenet.com/premenstrual_syndrome/article.htm
http://www.worldwidehealth.com/health-article-Premenstrual-Syndrome-PMS-and-Vitamin-B6.html
References:
1. www.herbwisdom.com
2. Amann W. Elimination of Obstipation with Agnolyt. Ther Gegenew. 1965;104(9):1263-65.
3. Hillebrand H. The Treatment of Premenstrual Aphthous Ulcerative Stomatitis with Agnolyt. Z Allgemeinmed. 1964;40(36):1577.
4. Kyle J. Norton Health article, Premenstrual Syndrome ( PMS )- What Exhibits Too Much Adrenaline To Causes PMS, www.worldwidehealth.com
5. Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health, “Premenstrual syndrome”, December 2009, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
6. “Managing Menopause“,December 2009, www.managingmenopause.org.au
7. http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/herbs_for_womens_health
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