Holistic Ways of Treating Menopause

Magnesium is a fundamental mineral for menopausal women and found in almonds, avocados, broccoli, leafy greens, seeds, tofu, whole grains, bananas, beans, cashews, dark chocolate, and oatmeal. Antonina Vlasova/Shutterstock

Menopause, medically speaking, refers to the end of menstruation. Dr. Marilyn Glenville, a UK nutritionist specializing in women’s health, writes in a guide that during this period, “progesterone levels plummet, sometimes to zero.”

Women may start menopause at any age from 45 until the mid-50s. Symptoms can include:

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• insomnia
• bladder/urinary discomfort
• more frequent urine infections
• loss of libido
• headaches 
• bloating 
• depression/feeling sad
• aching joints
• palpitations 
• abdominal weight gain
• chest pain with exertion
• hair loss

Another symptom can be uterine leiomyomas. These are the most frequently encountered benign tumors of the uterus in up to 70 to 80 percent of perimenopausal (nearing menopause) women. They are hard to distinguish from malignant tumors due to their potentially overlapping features, so a clinician may only discover that it is malignant post-operatively, once the tumor is examined under a microscope.