Phytoestrogens are making a career in medicine and cosmetology. Their supporters claim that they alleviate the symptoms of menopause, but also help you stay he althy and prolong your youth. Is it true? What are phytoestrogens and how do they work?

In factphytoestrogensare not typical hormones. These are substances that regulate the growth, maturation and flowering time of plants. They alleviatemenopausal symptoms , because their action is somewhat similar to that of female sex hormones - estrogens, but much, much weaker.

Phytoestrogens - when there are no hormones

The ovaries of women who approachmenopausereduce the production of hormones - first progesterone, then estrogen. The result of this natural process are menstrual disorders (even in 40-year-olds) - the period becomes irregular, scanty or heavy, too short or much too long. But hormones don't just affect the menstrual cycle. Their low level also manifests itself in other ailments. We are tired, irritable, we have trouble concentrating, remembering and sleeping. Over time, night sweats, hot flashes, headaches and dizziness, hand tremors, palpitations, and less interest in sex join this. Experts call these ailments the outlet symptoms of the menopause. Doctors are not yet able to force the ovaries to extend the working time. However, they know how to compensate for hormonal deficiencies to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause and protect the woman against many serious diseases, including osteoporosis or atherosclerosis.

How do phytoestrogens work?

Gynecologists propose hormone replacement therapy (HRT), i.e. taking sex hormones contained, for example, in tablets, gels or patches. But not all women choose such treatment. Some people give it up for he alth reasons, others - because they are afraid of side effects. Phytoestrogens pretend to be human hormones in a woman's body. How? Like natural estrogens, they bind to the estrogen receptors of the hypothalamus neurons and thus indirectly affect the work of the ovaries. Phytoestrogens slightly alleviate the symptoms of the menopause related to the deficiency of own estrogens: hot flashes, drenching sweats, anxiety, crying attacks, nervousness and depression, dizziness and headaches, sleep disturbances, a sense of physical and mental exhaustion. Moreover, it is advantageousthey affect the epithelium that lines the reproductive organ. However, do not expect miracles - these pseudo-estrogens will not replace either human hormones or those used as part of hormone replacement therapy. They work when the symptoms are not too strong, or when for some reason we want to supplement HRT.

Important

Scientists believe that phytoestrogens, in addition to alleviating menopausal symptoms, can also:

  • lower blood pressure,
  • protect against osteoporosis,
  • lower blood cholesterol,
  • positively affect the nervous system,
  • slow down the process of skin sagging and the formation of wrinkles.

Soybeans - a source of phytoestrogens

As numerous studies have shown, Asian women go through the menopause more gently and have almost no osteoporosis. Compared with Europeans and Americans 7-8 times less often they have atherosclerosis and breast cancer. Scientists decided it was a result of the diet. Japanese women eat a lot of fatty fish containing he althy omega-3 fatty acids and about 55 g of soy a day (American women only 5 g). And soy is high in phytoestrogens called isoflavones. After soybeans, scientists looked at the European bed bug (Cimicifuga racemosa). The ancients of America knew its calming and anti-rheumatic properties, used its decoction to soothe labor and menstrual pains. After a series of experiments, it turned out that triterpene glycosides contained in bedbug also reduce the symptoms of menopause.

Phytoestrogens - take or not

It is known that our daily diet does not contain enough phytoestrogens to be therapeutically effective. For example, the optimal dose of isoflavones is 60 mg per day (this is the amount in, for example, 0.5 liters of soy milk or 120 g of tofu cheese). Asians eat 40-80 mg of them a day and we eat only 3-5 mg. Therefore, it is worth reaching for ready-made preparations with phytoestrogens. When? The amount of estrogens produced by the female body begins to decline around the age of 35, and after the age of 40 this deficit is considerable. Doctors therefore suggest not to wait until menopause, but to start phytoestrogen treatment early enough. Of course, you need to consult a gynecologist. Overdosing on plant hormones can cause, for example, nausea, headaches, and even spotting from the genital tract. The effects of phytoestrogen treatment are usually visible after 2-3 months of regular use of the preparations. However, these remedies do not work equally for all women. It is influenced by, among others our diet - if there is a lot of fiber in it, the body will better absorb phytoestrogens. Warning! Remember that cigarettes and alcohol weaken the effects of the preparations. It should be remembered that the treatment with plant compounds containedin soybean it is not indicated after breast or endometrial cancer (or for carriers of BRCA oncogenic genes). In these cases, it is better to use cimicifuga preparations, because they work a bit differently than soy.

Calculates phytohormones

Experts divide the phytoestrogens present in plants into many groups. The three main ones are: isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans. They are found in different plants and they work slightly differently.

  • Isoflavones - they are mainly found in soybeans, but also in lentils, chickpeas, beans and broad beans and in hops. Cereals abound in them: wheat, barley, rye.
  • Lignans - they are contained in seed oils (especially linseed), but they can also be found in sunflower seeds, linseed, garlic, onions, cherries, pears, apples and in … hop beer and red wine.
  • Kumestans - they are not an essential component of our diet. There are many of them in red clover, slightly less in sunflower seeds and soybean sprouts.
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Female diseases