Alternative Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

There are many alternative remedies to ease menopause symptoms ranging from herbal supplements to soy products. Including these alternative therapies in your treatment program will provide you with substantial relief from hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms associated with menopause. Smoothing the way through menopause and its multitude of symptoms is no longer dependent on taking estrogen products, as long as there are other options available. Incorporating these healthier, alternative options into your lifestyle will lessen the impact menopause symptoms have on your life.

Behavioral Changes and Vitamin E

Simple behavioral changes can be easily integrated into your life to help with menopause symptoms. To reduce the incidence of hot flashes, wear loose, cotton clothing. Avoid spicy hot foods. Limit coffee and alcohol. Keep your stress levels in check. Deep, focused breathing for as little as five minutes twice a day can reduce the number of hot flashes. Avoid taking long, hot baths before bedtime.

Vitamin E (400 to 800 IU) may also be helpful in decreasing the amount of hot flashes you experience.

Natural Progesterone Cream and Soy

According to Dr. Christiane Northrup in her book "The Wisdom of Menopause," about 85% of women who use a progesterone cream that contains 2% progesterone experience a reduction in hot flashes. Apply about 1/4 teaspoon of this cream daily for relief.

Soy products may be added to the diet to relieve symptoms of menopause. Although there is some contradictory information regarding the benefits of soy, Christiane Northrup again concludes that the addition of soy in the diet can have benefits when treating hot flashes. After 12 weeks, women who consumed 60 grams of soy protein per day experienced a 45% reduction in hot flashes. Good sources of soy include soy milk, tofu, edamame and roasted soy nuts.

Black Cohosh, Exercise and Yoga

One of the most common herbs used to treat symptoms of menopause is the herb black cohosh. It has been shown to reduce the symptoms of hot flashes by reducing their intensity and duration. Black cohosh is available in supplement form, and may be taken for six months at a time.

Simply adding an exercise regime to your daily lifestyle can help with relieving some of the symptoms of menopause. Exercise is also critical for maintaining bone density in post-menopausal women. Weight-bearing exercise seems to offer the most benefit to the bones. Lift weights two times a week for 40 minutes each time to help maintain strong bones during menopause. Take a walk to lessen the stress related to menopause and to maintain your weight.

Yoga is beneficial as an alternative to treat menopause. Specific yoga poses can help to alleviate hot flashes, stress, mood swings and depression. In her book, "The New Yoga for People Over 50," Suza Francina goes over these yoga poses.

Add some of these alternative treatments to your daily routine to help with symptoms of menopause.