By David Liu, PHD

Monday Sept 3, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- A Japanese study recently published in the journal Climacteric suggests that maintaining a high antioxidative potential by taking antioxidant supplements such as such as vitamin E and vitamin C, Vitamin A and Carotenoids,Selenium, CoEnzyme Q10, Alpha-lipoic acid may help reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes in women who are experiencing the transition of menopausal status.

It is generally believed that menopausal symptoms are developed because the female sex hormones are on the decline at menopause, which causes discomfort.  But the study led by J.T. Chen and K. Kotani of Jui-Tung Chen Clinic in Tokyo found severity of menopausal symptoms inversely linked to serum levels of antioxidant potential in women at menopause.

The researchers conducted the study to correlate the established menopausal index and serum levels of the in vivo antioxidative potential in women because they knew that female sex hormones exhibit an antioxidative activity and suspected that decreased levels of female sex hormones cause the oxidative-antioxidative imbalance which may be involved in menopausal symptoms.

A total of 160 women at a mean age of 52 years submitted blood samples for the testing of the biological antioxidative potential and they were assessed for menopausal-like symptoms using the Simplified Menopausal Index.

The researchers found an inverse association between the biological antioxidative potential and the Simplified menopausal Index, independent of age and the body mass index.

They concluded "The data suggest that menopausal symptoms may be associated with a decrease in antioxidant potential as assessed by the BAP test."

Common menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, osteoporosis, weight gain, fatigue, breast tenderness and depression.

Menopause is a normal biological process every woman needs to experience.  Some women experience some severe menopausal symptoms while others do not.  Treatments are available depending upon the condition to help women relieve signs and symptoms, including hormone replacement therapy, low dose antidepressants, gabapentin, clonidine, bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and vaginal estrogen.

Because all treatments are not free of side effects with some having adverse effects, women at menopause may consider trying some alternative treatments before they opt to take powerful yet harmful prescription drugs to relieve their symptoms.

In addition to antioxidants that may be tried to relieve menopausal symptoms as the current study suggests, other alternative treatments for menopause include avoiding foods with caffeine, carbonated beverages with phosphorous, commercially raised meats such as beef, pork and chicken and foods with added sugars; increasing intake of foods with phytoestrogen such as soy and other beneficial foods such as grains, oats, wheat, brown rice, tofu, almonds, fresh fruit and vegetables and cashews; taking red clover isoflavone supplements, probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidus, Calcium supplements, Magnesium, Black Cohosh, Dong Quai, Evening Primrose Oil, Ginseng, and Vitex Agnus Castus.

It should be pointed out that natural or bio-identical estrogen compounds promoted by some companies are 100% the same as endogenous female sex hormones, which are known to increase cancer and heart disease risk among other risks.  They are powerful yet dangerous and should be avoided by all means.