For both men and women, hormonal changes are a source of discomfort and sometimes misunderstanding. The connection between changes in the body and a decrease in hormone production doesn’t come to mind immediately.
For women, the average age of menopause is 51, with a range of symptoms related to the decline in estrogen, but pre-menopause can last for months, if not years. It is not uncommon for me to receive women in my practice, who are 43-45 years old and who don’t understand what is going on inside them, who have not changed their lifestyle habits but who “don’t recognize themselves anymore”. The ovaries are still functioning, but the hormone levels become fluctuating and chaotic with a body that tends to bloat, irritability, insomnia…
In men, andropause manifests itself from the age of 45, with a set of physiological symptoms linked to the decrease in the secretion of sexual hormones, mainly testosterone. However, in our increasingly chemical environment, loaded with endocrine disruptors, the signs of andropause can appear earlier, sometimes even before the age of 40. The main results are a decrease in sex drive, fatigue, loss of muscle mass and mood disorders.
Menopause is often considered as a health problem, as a pathology. However, menopause, like andropause, is neither a disease nor an obstacle to be overcome, but a natural phenomenon to be accompanied in order to re-establish balance and improve life comfort.
What can be done to naturally accompany menopause and andropause?
First of all, the more you stick to healthy lifestyle habits, the more likely you are not to be too upset by hormonal changes. These healthy habits include:
- A healthy and balanced diet: organic, local, seasonal and unprocessed products
- Regular physical activity
- Maintaining your “natural” healthy weight
- Limiting the consumption of stimulants (alcohol, coffee, black tea)
- Good stress management (cardiac coherence, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, walks in nature)
- Quality sleep (sleep before midnight, 7-8 hours per night totally dark room, with no electronic devices)
My favorite micro-nutrients: vitamin C (collagen production), vitamin E (cell membrane), selenium (antioxidant), chromium (helps with mood swings), vitamin B complex (nervous system) and magnesium (sleep).
And in terms of plants: ashwaganda (adaptogen = stress management), maca (testosterone) and eleutherococcus (anti-stress + tonic), evening primrose and borage oils (skin, mucous membranes), wild yam (hot flashes, libido stimulant), damiana (libido), sea buckthorn (dry mucous membranes).
COPMED Laboratories (copmed.info)offer two brand new formulas that are really worth testing:
ANDRONAT for age-related androgen deficiency – Supports reproductive and urinary organ health and contributes to natural testosterone production, thanks to the plant tribulus. This product contains plants and also chromium, selenium, zinc and vitamins D3 and B5.
LADYNAT to ease pre-menopause and menopause. An innovative, natural solution, specially formulated to improve intimate life, good sexual health, to regain physical and mental well-being, to control weight by reducing appetite. This product contains plants and also chromium.
