Probiotics for menopause symptoms
Most women experience menopause once they reach their middle years. Hot flashes, menstrual cycle changes, insomnia or other sleeping issues, frequent urination, vaginal dryness and/or pain during intercourse, dry skin, hair loss, vaginal atrophy, urinary tract infections, weight gain, and a decreased libido are typical symptoms.
Menopause in women typically occurs between the ages of 48 and 55. Despite the fact that this is the accepted norm, many younger and older women have also reported having this experience; however, when a woman is under 40, it is viewed as premature.
Factors that cause menopause and the resulting hormonal imbalance
A woman’s fertile period may have come to an end with the onset of menopause. Her ovaries stop producing fertile eggs, which causes a number of changes in her body. As the term “menopause” is only used for the day after a woman has gone 12 months without having her period, this time period is actually known as the “perimenopause.”
Women go through this period differently; some experience a gradual transition while others are troubled by a number of issues, including hot flashes and various issues with bodily functions.
The ovaries, which normally produce both estrogen and testosterone, slow down hormonal production during this time. Hormones influence both our behavior and growth. However, estrogen has effects on both behavior and growth, as well as the upkeep and repair of a female’s reproductive tissues.
Thus, a change in estrogen production signals the beginning of menopause, which causes a variety of physical changes in a woman.
Probiotics’ function in the perimenopausal period
Numerous studies have been conducted to see if specific probiotics found in the gut have any real impact on symptoms related to menopause. The results so far seem promising.
Vaginal flora
The use of specific probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14) has been positively linked to the restoration of vaginal flora in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
The women were split into two groups: one received probiotics as part of the intervention, and the other received an oral placebo. The study was conducted over a 14-day period. The results showed that those in the intervention group responded favorably to the probiotics administered in terms of the restoration of vaginal flora.
Hair loss
The majority of the time, genetics are linked to hair loss, though other factors like diet and the start of menopause can also contribute. It has been proven that consuming probiotics reduces hair shedding and, in many cases, encourages hair growth.
Vaginal wasting
According to a recent study, 90 women who were all perimenopausal were studied. Three distinct groups were created from the 87 participants (aged between 35 and 60) who had complete data: premenopausal (30), perimenopausal (29), and postmenopausal (60). (28). According to Dr. Brotman, the study discovered a “significant association between atrophy and community state type and menopause stage and community state type.” It appears that vaginal atrophy and the probiotic Lactobacillus loss are related.
Infection of the urinary tract
Studies have found that older, menopausal women are more likely to experience urinary tract infections and incontinence. Studies have shown that using cranberry extracts and taking the probiotic Lactobacillus orally reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections, according to Dr. Paul Auwaerter of John Hopkins.
Night sweats and hot flashes
Probiotics like Bifidobacter species and Lactobacillus acidophilus are said to help with the controlling of this problem as well as to help with the reduction of certain vaginal yeast infections, even though vitamins like Vitamins C, E, and B help with this problem.
Our gastrointestinal tract, also referred to as the “enteric nervous system,” has a separate nervous system that communicates constantly with our brains. The brain picks up on anything that affects the gut, and the opposite is also true. As a result, the gut is home to a wide variety of unique bacteria that have existed since the moment we were born. We need these microflora for our health and well-being. Probiotics are the beneficial members of the flora that are present, and they are crucial to our overall health. We typically experience certain health problems when the amount of these healthy probiotics decreases.
These probiotics have a significant impact on how hormones are metabolized and recycled in women, and because they help maintain a healthy hormonal balance, they also help to reduce the symptoms of the perimenopausal state.
The best path to hormonal health is to have an appropriate ratio of progesterone to estrogen. One’s hormonal balance becomes out of whack as a result of an excess of estrogen, leading to a variety of associated symptoms.
Menopausal women frequently experience mood disorders like depression and anxiety, which are frequently brought on by low lactobacilli levels in their bodies. Due to their role in the brain’s production of serotonin, these bacteria help one stay more relaxed.
Another issue brought on by the beginning of menopause is weight gain, which can also be linked to an imbalance in the flora in one’s digestive system. The normal metabolism of fat and calories will resume once the concentration of friendly flora is restored.
When probiotics are included in a woman’s diet, her digestive system resumes its normal function, her hormone balance is preserved, her energy levels are restored, and a number of symptoms that are typically related to menopause can either be resolved or at the very least greatly alleviated.