Introduction
It's wonderful to be able to state with certainty that women no longer need to suffer overwhelming symptoms at the time of the menopause. What is even better, is that research now clearly supports the fact that menopausal symptoms can be overcome without having to resort to hormone replacement therapy. Until more recently, women were locked into taking HRT at the time of the menopause, whether it suited them or not; the latter being a major issue, as up to two-thirds of women come off HRT within the first nine months of commencing treatment because of side effects or dissatisfaction. Whilst some women feel that HRT has improved their lot others are either unwilling to consider it an option, or unable to take it for a variety of medical reasons.

At the time of the menopause it is vital to have all the facts at your finger-tips in order to be able to make an informed choice. We often encounter conflicting reports about the pros and cons of HRT, indeed its safety and the workability of alternative approaches. Confusion about the subject, and fear, are emotions that women approaching the menopause frequently experience.

The programme we have developed at the Natural Health Advisory Service over the last 17 years is scientifically based and consists of:

Why do we suffer at the time of the menopause?
In order to understand what happens in the body at the time of the menopause it is first necessary to go back in time to the child-bearing years. There are many demands placed upon us in the early years, which when not met can result in poor health prospects. We know from our own research on women of child-bearing age with premenstrual syndrome, that between 50-80% of them have a shortage of an important mineral called magnesium. Additionally other nutrients like B vitamins, iron, zinc and essential fatty acids are often in short supply too.

A recipe for healthy bones
Let's use magnesium as an example as it is a valuable mineral needed for: Normal brain chemical metabolism (and the brain chemistry is a bit like a conductor of an orchestra who ultimately determines harmony)

Normal hormone function

Smooth muscle control (and both the uterus and the gut are smooth muscles)

So it stands to reason that a shortage of magnesium alone can influence both our physical and mental well-being, all aspects of our menstrual cycle and our gut function.

Add to this the extra nutrient demands that are placed on our body during pregnancy, and even more so during episodes of breast-feeding. Mother Nature, in her wisdom, ensures that the growing baby gets the nutrients needed for development, which means they go sailing out across the placenta and through the breast milk, often leaving the mother in a poor nutritional state.

As the years go by levels of some nutrients naturally decline. By the time we reach the menopause we are often in a nutritionally depleted state, firing on two cylinders instead of four. As the menopause is such a major transition in a woman's life the body needs to be in good shape in order to ensure a smooth passage.

The hot flushes that are experienced at the time of the menopause are simply the result of the brain chemistry attempting to kick-start the ovaries back into function. We repeatedly notice that improving nutritional status, our diet and lifestyle positively influences our brain chemistry, resulting in both hot flushes and night sweats subsiding.

Which symptoms are attributable to falling oestrogen levels?
Oestrogen withdrawal symptoms are predominantly:

New research holds the key to overcoming all symptoms
Our new research has demonstrated that the symptoms we experience during the menopause are not necessarily all attributable to falling oestrogen levels. Perhaps our expectations of HRT, as a result of its media image, are too high. HRT is predominantly designed to counteract the oestrogen withdrawal symptoms rather than the "physical" and "mental" symptoms we have recently identified: Physical symptoms - These consist primarily of;

Mental symptoms - These include:

The NHAS programme does, however, address all three groups of symptoms effectively. Our audit on patients who have been through our programme, showed that 85% of women feel that their menopause symptoms are under control within four months (Group 1 - oestrogen withdrawal symptoms) and 90% report having overcome "physical" and "mental" symptoms within the same time period. When we redress the balance and put back in the body what time and nature have taken out, it seems to have a normalising effect on brain chemistry and hormone function. It is a bit like turning the factory lights back on.

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