Happy Lunar New Year.
The year of the Monkey is here and we love to celebrate with a sale.
Enjoy 15% OFF everything in our Chinese herb store for one week.
(ends 2/14/16)
I’m happy to report that a new menopause treatment will most likely not be approved by the FDA. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration overwhelmingly voted against a Depomed drug called Gabapentin to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Apparently, the benefits were heavily outweighed by the risks involved with this would be prescription menopause treatment.
Drug makers have been experimenting with non-hormonal treatments for menopause ever since they lost considerable market share with HRT drugs once they were proven to increase the risk for breast cancer and heart disease.
The FDA panelists overwhelmingly recommended the FDA reject the use of generically known Gabapentin pointing out that three company studies failed to show a significant reduction in hot flashes over 12 weeks. Patients also experienced side effects including dizziness, fatigue and balance problems. Gabapentin already carries a warning label that it can increase the frequency of suicidal thoughts. The FDA often follows the advice of panelists although it is not required to do so.
Looking for a safe Menopause Treatment that works fast! Look no further, Menopause Relief Herb Pack is here.
Hot flashes and night sweats for 3 years, Oh MY! I friend of a friend just confided in me she’s been suffering with menopause symptoms in silence for years. When I inquire as to why, she said, “I just didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want the artificial hormones”.
Not all women need a menopause treatment plan. Menopause is a time of change and all women over 50 will experience an ending to their menstruation sooner or later.
But, not all women will need a treatment plan during their menopause years. According to Dr. Elaine Jolly, director of Ottawa’s Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre, “Menopause is seen as not very sexy,” says Jolly. “And the menopause curriculum in medical schools is horrible. And that’s a pity, because mature women benefit from preventive care.” she says.
Jolly suspects she knows why the (menopause treatment) field is not a popular choice for medical students contemplating a specialty. It takes a full hour to have a proper consultation with a menopausal patient — and the pay is lower than other medical specialties. “You don’t get kudos for health prevention,” says Jolly. “In France, if you spend time counseling and talking about these things, you get paid.” Many frustrated women are turning to complementary and alternative medicine, she says. “They are not getting satisfaction through conventional medicine.”
I agree with you Dr. Elaine Jolly, women are turning to alternative medicine especially Chinese herbs for menopause treatment. The herbs used in Menopause Relief Herb Pack are the same ones used for centuries to help women balance their hormones and give them relief from hot flashes and night sweats.
On the same day that I received a wonderful testimonial from a woman taking Menopause Relief Herb Pack, I read the news announcement from the Annals of Internal Medicine, that HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) creates significant health risks, including stroke and breast cancer.
Wow, what a day!
This news is not really a shocker to alternative medicine practitioners like myself. The Complementary and Alternative Medicine community understands the risks of artificial hormones because we are taught to look at the body from a different point of view than Western medicine doctors. We don't try to cover up menopause symptoms with a drug rather we look for the root cause of the disease and treat the whole body.
Holistic minded doctors have always known that HRT is not the miracle drug it was once made out to be. Yesterdays announcement that risks outweigh the benefits is something we've known all along.
"In this case, the harms – the risk of blood clots, gallbladder disease, those types of things – led us to conclude that, on balance, the harms outweigh any potential benefit" said Dr. Bibbins-Domingo.
She added that for conditions such like heart disease and dementia, there was no evidence of any benefit.
Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School who worked on the WHI study, said the latest recommendations track with current medical practice.
Manson said it is important to distinguish between hormone therapy used for prevention of chronic disease and short-term use of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms, which the guidelines do not address.
She said many of the same professional societies that caution against use of hormone therapy for prevention endorse its use in healthy women whose lives are being disrupted by symptoms of menopause.
"That is the really key point here," she said.
Because of the potential risks, doctors prescribe hormone therapy for menopause symptoms at the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time. "We understand that there is a different balance of benefits and risks when hormone therapy is used for short-term symptom management versus long-term disease prevention," Manson said.
The task force said more study is needed on the effects of hormone therapy in younger women.
World Menopause Day is October 18th. If you suffer with hot flashes or night sweats or other symptoms of menopause please join me at an online event called:
World Menopause Day Health Summit
Come and join the on-line conversation. Ask the panelist your most pressing menopause questions.
The list of expert panelists will be breaking taboo and talking everything menopause.
Don’t feel alone any longer. That foggy brain feeling you’re not quite sure about…. we’ll be talking about solutions.
Weight gain around the middle that you simply can’t get rid of…. well we’ll be talking about solutions that have worked for that too.
Most women feel their doctor should give them the answers to all their health questions as they age, unfortunately, doctors today often don’t have natural solutions. What they have is a prescription pad.
If you’re like me, you just don’t trust the pills anymore. If you feel confused by all the conflicting information about HRT, (hormone replacement therapy), YOU are not alone.
We’re going to talk about all the other options that work. Diet and life style solutions such as herbal alternatives that really work and have been used for centuries. I guarantee you will walk away with useful information you won’t hear anywhere else.
End the confusion and the mysteries
behind the big “M”,
Worried about your bone density? As woman age, they are more susceptible to bone fractures. Bone mineral density is something every woman over 50 should have checked.
In Asia, a Chinese herb formula call Fufang has been studied for over five years on post-menopausal women. The results of this 194 person study of women ages 47 to 70 years, was significant. Fufang, a blend of several Chinese herbs used twice daily (10 grams each serving) were found to improve the bone density of the study participants.
All the women were given an oral blend of the herbs used which included Epimedium, The Fufang contained several herbal compounds including Epimedium, Rehmannia, Dioscore,Cornus, Cinnamomum cassia, Drynaria fortunei, and Morinda. You will find these and other herbs in
and
Both the control group and the treatment group were also given 600 mg of calcium and 400 iu of Vitamin D daily. There were no notable adverse events in either group.
As women age they are more suseptible to hip fractures and other bone problems. Hip replacement surgery has become all too common.
Maintaining healthy bones is part of healthy aging.
The study concluded, in addition to the beneficial effects of oral herbal Fufang for the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss, this 5-year multi-center clinical study demonstrated for the first time its potential for reduction in fragility fracture incidence.
References:
1. Journal of Bone Mineral Metabolism. 2012 Jun 22 PMID: 22722637 PubMed
2. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jul;22(7):1072-9.
3. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17419678
4. Effects of epimedium total flavonoids phytosomes on preventing and treating bone-loss of ovariectomized rats]. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12774407
5. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1757-7861.2011.00129.x/abstract
6. Phytomedicine. 2010 May;17(6):414-23. Epub 2009 Sep 10. Icariin isolated from Epimedium pubescens regulates osteoblasts anabolism through BMP-2, SMAD4, and Cbfa1 expression. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19747809
Hormones and Your Health – Natural Menopause Solutions
There is breaking news from the American Association for Cancer Research. A study presented in Chicago on March 31, 2012 proved long term hormone use dramatically increases a woman's risk factor for developing breast cancer. Whether you use hormones or not (birth control or HRT) there are many great ways to reduce extra estrogen in your body.
This video give you 6 easy tips to help you balance your hormones naturally.
Breaking News Hormones and Your Health
The study was conducted at Harvard Medical School where they studied over 100,000 registered nurses for approximately 25 years. The results found that the women who used any type of hormone therapy for more than 10 years had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer. The longer your hormone use, the higher your risks factor.
I wanted to talk about this because so many women take birth control pills when they are young and HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for menopausal symptoms as they age.
Now we have this long term study showing the results of this hormone use. Doctors like Dr. Wendy Chen the lead researcher of the study, is saying women should use the lowest dose of hormones needed for the shortest time possible.
The good news is there are many ways to balance your hormones and reduce the estrogen in your body. I want to give you a couple easy and natural tips on how to do this.
1. First, try to eat meat that is hormone free. Whether it's chicken, beef or pork, look for meat that says raised without hormones. The same goes for milk. Certified Organic milk (or raw organic) milk is the only milk that does not contain hormones.
2. Add a powdered green supplement to your diet everyday. Something that contains the herb milk thistle and or dandelion root and this will help your liver process estrogen and remove it from your body.
3. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower all help reduce estrogen dominance. If these are not your favorite vegetables, you can take a supplement that does this is called indinol 3.
4. Drink filtered water is another good idea because there are large amount of hormones in our water supply.
5. Also reducing your caffeine intake will help balance your hormones and stop microwaving your food in plastic containers because this leach toxin that act as estrogen into your body.
6. If you are dealing with menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes, there are natural alternatives to HRT – Chinese herbs have been used for centuries and are a safe solution. Pacific Herbs sells a Menopause Relief Herb Pack that works fast for these symptoms and is made from herbs that have more than 500 years of use. You can find Menopause Relief here.
I hope you will research the new study results for yourself and please pass on this information to other women. It could be a life saver.
Study link: http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=489622a8-6ba9-4309-b54c-6e00a5886d06&cKey=726a2cb6-a357-418f-8fe2-cc997d8ce387&mKey={2D8C569E-B72C-4E7D-AB3B-070BEC7EB280}
More studies on Estrogen:
It is generally accepted that high levels of estrogen are associated with cancer of the breast, uterus and cervix; with cystic breast disease, uterine fibroids and endometriosis; with heavy bleeding and premenstrual syndrome; with depressed thyroid function; and with fluid retention and weight gain. Some lesser known associations are the following, as reported in the Nutri-Spec Letter of Guy R. Schenker, DC (1-800-736-4320):
Estrogen levels increase under the stress of injury, surgery, exposure to cold, infection and fasting. (Am J Vet Res, Feb 1998; Keio J Med, Sept 1989; Prog Clin Biol Res, 1989; J Clin Endocrine Metabl, 1974; Am J Clin Nutri, 1989)
Postmenopausal women with higher levels of circulating estrogen experience greater cognitive decline. (J Am Ger Soc 1998, Vol 46, Pages 816-21)
Alcoholism is associated with abnormally high levels of estrogen. (S Gastroienterol, Oct 1988 German)
Estrogen exacerbates symptoms of allergies and asthma. (Rev Pheumol Clin, Oct 1999, Vol 55, No 5, Pages 296-300; Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, Sep 1998, Vol 81 No 3, Pages 243-6) One study presented evidence that the increasing incidence of asthma in children is due to the mother's oral contraceptive use prior to pregnancy. (Pediatr Allergy Immunol, Nov 1997, Vol 8, No 4, Pages 200-4.)
Estrogen can actually cause osteoporosis! (Menopause 1991 1(3):131-136) According to Dr. Schenker, between the ages of 21 and 40 there is a considerable increase in women's estrogen production. However, bone loss has been shown to actually begin around the age of 23 and progresses through the years when estrogen levels are actually rising. Weight gain patterns in middle age women can interfere with bone mass scans, leading to false conclusions about the effects of estrogen on bone health.
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| Feel Compelled to include this information from Dr. John Foster MD |
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We are living in the age of estrogen. The food supply is laden with traces of herbicides, pesticides and petrochemical residues from plastics, all of which have estrogen-like, endocrine disrupting effects in animals and humans. These xenobiotics, or foreign biological substances, have been linked to abnormalities and cancers of human tissues that are hormone sensitive, including fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer, cervical cancer and dysplasia, endometrial cancer, endometriosis and ovarian disease as well as prostatic hypertrophy and cancer. How can we protect ourselves from these influences? Eating a whole food diet of organic or biodynamic foods, free of pesticides, is an important first step. Healthy water is the next. Municipal water supplies may be sources of many chemicals and water in plastic bottles can contain residues of polycarbonate plastics called phthalates, which are endocrine disrupters. It is important to drink only pure mineral water or water that has been treated by a reverse osmosis (RO) system. Our bodies regulate and eliminate estrogens by the action of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. There are two pathways of estrogen oxidation and conversion, one of which converts it to a beneficial and non-toxic form 2-OH estrogen and another which converts it to the 16-OH estrogen form. The 16-OH form is carcinogenic and causes diseases of tissues that are responsive to hormones, including disorders and cancers of breast, uterus, cervix and prostate, and probably lung and colon. Xenoestrogens push the system toward the 16-OH pathway both directly and indirectly. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and cabbage contain a substance called indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which is activated and liberated when the vegetables are crushed in a wet environment, that is, when they are chewed, chopped or pounded. In the presence of stomach acid, I3C combines with itself to form DIM (di-indollyl methane). DIM induces certain P-450 enzymes in the liver to block the production of the toxic 16-OH estrogens and enhance the production of the beneficial 2-OH forms. Studies have demonstrated that DIM reduces the incidence of fibrocystic breast disease, cervical dysplasia, endometriosis and prostate enlargement. In fact, the 2-OH form is not only benign but also enhances the process of apoptosis, the spontaneous death of damaged and cancerous cells. DIM also acts as an active surveillance for cancer cells. This is very exciting and while there is much to learn and more to say, I can state with assurance that this phyto-nutrient may be one of the most important protective substances of this new century. It is very important to eat cruciferous vegetables every day for protection against diseases that may be induced by exposure to environmental estrogens. As raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens, it is best to eat them fermented, because fermentation neutralizes these thyroid-depressing substances. (Cooking also neutralizes the goitrogens, but also deactivates I3C.) In fact, low rates of breast cancer in Polish women have been attributed to their daily consumption of sauerkraut. (Science News 9/23/00) The amount of vegetables needed to supply adequate DIM for full protection or as part of a program of cancer treatment is at least two pounds daily. Of course, it is not always practical or possible to eat such large amounts of pickled vegetables. Fortunately, DIM is available as a supplement. I recommend it to almost any patient over 40 and anyone with a family history of breast or uterine problems as well as cancer of the lung, colon or prostate. I also add DIM to any hormone replacement therapy program for an added safety factor to prevent the above diseases. |
The largest study on on HRT has been completed. One million British women participated and the results are no surprise. Well, no surprise to many of us. As a result of this study the British drug regulator has ordered doctors to now talk to their patients. Yes, talk, something many doctors don't have time to do.
British doc's have been ordered to appraise their patients of the risks of prolonged hormone therapy (HT), and they must do this annually. This order came about because the study concluded women are twice as likely to develop breast cancer when taking combined HRT (Hormone-replacement therapy)1.
Millions of British women take HRT to alleviate menopause-associated hot flushes, sweating and mood swings. Around half take a combination of the hormones oestrogen and progestogen.
Over the past decade, some 20,000 extra cases of breast cancer in British women aged between 50 and 64 are attributable to HRT, the new study finds – three-quarters of those are linked to combination therapy. This risk is only associated with HRT taken for ten years or more – cancer incidence falls appreciably the less time a woman spends undergoing the therapy.
Breast cancer due to HRT has also been found to occurs earlier than previously thought. After only two to three years of therapy. The risk after just one year is negligible, and five years after stopping HRT the risk returns to baseline.
The study also reveals that the risks associated with tablets, patches and implants are the same. "Now we can actually give women an evidence-based answer," says Julietta Patnick, director of cancer screening with the UK National Health Service.
If you are one of the millions of women trying to balance your quality-of-life benefits with the choice of using hormone therapy consider there are other alternatives which have been used in other cultures for centuries. Chinese herbs for menopause like Menopause Relief Herb Pack is one of those alternatives. There is no risk of uterine cancer and NO increased risk of breast cancer. Even bio-identical hormone therapy has risks. We just don't know about them yet because it is so new. Do you really want to chance it?
There is an easier and safer solution. You can have quality of life during the
menopausal years. You can sleep through the night and have a day
without flashes.
You owe it to yourself to do some research and try a natural safe alternative.
References:
Beral, V. and the Million Women Study collaborators. Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy in the Million Women Study. Lancet, 362, 419 – 427, (2003).
Hodis, H. N. et al. Hormone therapy and the progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. New England Journal of Medicine, 349, 535 – 545, (2003).
The climb in breast cancer rates over the last two decades in the U.S. has been unprecedented.
Now Premarin and Preplus, artificial hormones used for menopause treatment are being blamed by thousands of women in both the U.S. and Canada. A Canadian Supreme Court has taken the first stem and certified a class-action lawsuit on behalf of women who contracted breast cancer after taking hormone replacement therapy also known as HRT.
The drugs in question, Premarin and Premplus were used by women to control hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause. The lawsuit alleges the makers of these drugs, Pfizer Pharmeceutical, failed to inform patients about research that demonstrates a link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer, and even went so far as to hire ghostwriters to downplay those risks in medical journals.
Dianna Stanway of Sechelt, B.C., is the main plaintiff. She took Premarin for seven years, but stopped when she read news reports warning it could cause cancer. Two months after quitting, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I never would have taken Premarin if I had been told of the risks. Fortunately, I won my battle with breast cancer. Not everyone is so lucky. I want my lawsuit to help all Canadian women, and their families, who have been harmed by this drug,” Stanway said in a news release issued by her law firm, Klein Lyons.
But the defendant in the lawsuit, pharmaceutical company Wyeth, which has since been purchased by Pfizer, says there’s no way to prove HRT gave Stanway cancer.
“It is widely accepted that science cannot determine what caused or contributed to any individual woman’s breast cancer except in rare circumstances where genetics play a role. Wyeth acted responsibly by conducting or supporting more than 180 studies on hormone therapy’s benefits and risks, and including science-based information in Premarin and Premplus’ labels that accurately communicate these benefits and risks to doctors and patients alike,” Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer has already used that argument successfully. A jury in Charleston, West Virginia, recently ruled in favour of the pharmaceutical giant, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to show HRT caused Leah Royce Hines’s breast cancer.
But Pfizer has also lost battles in the many lawsuits it has faced, and still faces, over HRT.
In 2009, Donna Scroggin of Arkansas, who developed breast cancer after taking HRT, won $29.5 million in a lawsuit against Wyeth.
The state of Nevada is currently involved in a lawsuit against Pfizer, alleging the company gave Nevada doctors deceptive information about the benefits of HRT.
“We look forward to bringing this case to trial. Many similar lawsuits have already been successfully tried to conclusion in the United States, resulting in repeated verdicts against the defendants,” said David Klein, Stanway’s lawyer.
Stanway’s lawsuit alleges the company tried to cover up the risks associated with HRT by hiring people to write positive articles for scientific journals, a practice also alleged in a 2010 investigation published in the Public Library of Science’s medical journal.
Adriane Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., who was an expert witness in a U.S. lawsuit against Pfizer, told QMI Agency at the time that the company hired ghostwriters to pen articles to spin the benefits of HRT, and published them under the names of actual doctors.
Wyeth hired a company called DesignWrite to co-ordinate its communications strategy, said Fugh-Berman. DesignWrite recruited doctors to appear as authors, chose journals, and set about to “position the product appropriately to influence prescribers,” she said.
Wyeth dismissed the allegations.”This article completely — and conveniently — ignores the fact that the published manuscripts were subjected to rigorous peer review by outside experts on behalf of the medical journals that published them,” the company said at the time.
Internal Pfizer documents made public during litigation revealed DesignWrite created over 50 peer-reviewed articles and over 50 scientific abstracts and posters, journal supplements, internal white papers and slide kits between 1997 and 2003, Fugh-Berman said.
In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative published a five-year study of 16,608 women ages 50 to 79, and concluded that HRT actually increases the risks of most of the things it claims to prevent, including heart disease, and greatly increases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer.
Compared to women who received placebo treatment, women who used HRT saw a 41% increase in strokes, a 22% increase in cardiovascular disease, a 29% increase in heart attacks, a 26% increase in breast cancer, and double the likelihood of blood clots.
We hope more women will learn about herbal options for menopause treatment of hot flashes and night sweats.
Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to reduce menopause symptoms.
Alternative medicine has come a long way since Patch Adams, MD. first challenged the medical status quo. You may remember Robin Williams played Patch in the movie called "Patch Adams".
Today, more than 30 years later, he is not the only one to pose the question, "What is a cure and what is a band aid?" Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Chiropractic, Homeopathy, Massage therapy and other alternative medicine therapies are not yet fully covered by most insurance carriers in the U.S. but times are changing.
These "Alternative Medicine" therapies are being used everyday by more and more Americans who are finding Acupuncture and Chinese herbs and other therapies are not just band aids. Around the world, more advanced societies see the value of traditional Chinese herbs and other healing modalities and depend on herbal remedies rather than artificial drugs.
Sometimes we need a band aid but more often, we what we really need is a cure.
We understand women are looking for natural products for as menopause treatment options. Unfortunately, flax seeds do not significantly lessen hot flashes according a study done at the Mayo Clinic and reported today in the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.
Researchers enrolled 178 women who had at least 28 hot flashes per week. About half were breast cancer survivors.
The women were given snack bars with or without flax seed to eat once a day. After six weeks, only a third of each group reported 50 percent fewer hot flashes, and all reported more bloating, diarrhea and nausea.”This we suspect was due to the fiber content in the bars,” According to Dr. Sandhya Pruthi of the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis.
If flax seeds don’t help hot flashes what does help? Chinese herbs have been used for over two thousand years successfully throughout Asia and help women naturally go through the change in life without severe hot flashes and night sweats.
Chinese herbs such as Rehamniae, Discorea, Horny Goat Weed, Moutan and others have a long history of helping women balance their energy and bring their bodies back to homeostasis. Herbal medical products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms have been studied and used continuously throughout Asia. Most American’s are familiar with a few Chinese herbs such as Ginseng, Dang Gui and Ginger. Yet, hundreds of herbs have been time tested and are safe and effective. These Chinese herbs may be new to the Western woman for menopause treatment, but Asian women have known the power in natural herbs by being raised in a culture which accepts and treasures their history, culture and learned knowledge that has been pasted down through generations.
For more information on Chinese herbs for menopause hot flashes click here.
You may also be interested in this blog post: A Natural Alternative to Hormones and Hot Flashes.
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