Menopause and Natural Progesterone

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Menopause and Natural Progesterone

Are you currently faced with the onset of menopause? Do you wish there was more information available on how to stay healthy during this dramatic changing phase in your life? Congratulations! You have found the answer source for your hesitant questions regarding menopause. You are probably not alone in your quest; the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) believes that over one-third of the women in the United States are over the age of 50 (http://members.aol.com/dearest/October.htm). The onset of menopause in women from the Baby Boomer generation- those born after World War II- is increasing rapidly (Samisioe,1992).

Despite its connotations, menopause should not be a cause for alarm or a message signaling that your prime years of life are over. Thanks to medical advancements, life expectancy has increased considerably for women (Lindheim et al., 1992). As a result of recent medical research, women have a wealth of menopause-related information at their fingertips. However, menopause is a dramatic changing phase in a woman's body, and the symptoms involved cannot be ignored.

Menopausal Symptoms

Menopausal symptoms include depression, hot flashes, and weight gain. More serious symptoms include osteoporosis, endometriosis, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. (Samsioe, 1992) These symptoms are the result of a woman's inability to produce hormones at the onset of menopause.

Two of the body's naturally-occurring hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are vital for the maintenance of good health. When these hormones are no longer produced at the onset of menopause, they must be replenished, but in balanced amounts. Estrogen replacement is beneficial ...

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Lindheim, S., Legro, R., Bernstein, L., Stanczyk, F., Vijod, M., Presser, S., and Lobo, R. (1992) Behavioral stress responses in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and the effects of estrogen. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 167, 1831-1836.

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Samsioe, G. (1992) Hormone replacement therapy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 166, 1980-1985.

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