A Solution To All Your Menopause Problems

If you're nearing the age of 50, you would know what a nightmare menopause can be. In contrast to the relief you are supposed to feel after your periods end, menopause brings itself a host of problems like sweaty hot flashes, weak bones and mood swings that can set you off the edge. But a recent study conducted at the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark has found a solution for women's woes, surprisingly, in the red clover.

The red clover is a flowering species of a wild plant that belongs to the legume family. According to the research, fermented red clover extract could seriously reduce negative symptoms of menopause that every one in three women over 50 experiences. It is believed that the fermentation process is responsible for the benefits, as the lactic acid fermentation increases the bioavailability of the bioactive estrogen-like compounds.

About the Study

The study, published in journal PLOS One, is based on 60 women with menopause symptoms, who were analysed based on the criteria of at least five severe hot flushes per day and blood tests to indicate the stage of the menopause they were in.

One half were given 150 ml Red Clover extract per day for 12 weeks, whilst the other 30 drank a masked placebo product. They were tested for the severity of hot flashes and bone loss after 12 weeks.

The hot flush test was conducted using a skin conductor, a device that can be applied to the underside of the wrist to determine the number hot flashes and their severity objectively based on sweat secretion. The bone loss test was conducted using DEXA scans of the spine and hips, which is a relatively quick and painless procedure.

The study was a collaboration between researchers Per Bendix Jeppesen and Max Norman Tandrup Lambert. Lambert ensured availability of fermented clover by asking farmers to fine tune the extract in order to improve the gastro-intestinal uptake of the active isoflavone compounds.

The results showed that the clover could effectively reduce the severity of bone loss, hot flashes and hormonal changes that caused mood swing and also prevent them from accelerating.

Better alternative than hormonal therapy

Women across the globe rely on hormonal therapy to control and reduce symptoms of menopause but researchers have shown that these pills could increase risk of heart diseases and even cancer.

Using the clover extract is a much better option since it comes without any such side-effects.

(Inputs from ANI)

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