Hi Sandra, I'm in my late forties and starting to experience what I assume is peri-menopause - hot flushes, trouble sleeping and more irritable than usual. It has coincided with a big project at work so I have been stressed too. Any suggestions for what might help? Thanks, Jayne.
Hi Jayne, thanks for your question. The emergence of peri-menopausal symptoms as the demands of your work life increase is unlikely to be coincidental.
Peri-menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 to 55 and is characterised by a decline in the regularity of ovulation and associated fluctuations of the two main sex hormones produced during a woman's monthly cycle. We hear a lot about the effects of declining oestrogen during peri-menopause, but progesterone is equally as important; it acts as a natural anti-anxiety and anti-depressant, calming the brain and protecting against stress, worry and insomnia. Declining progesterone is one of the reasons that women are three times more likely to suffer anxiety, depression, and insomnia during the five years before menopause.
Your adrenal glands take over the production of progesterone after menopause, however these glands also respond to stress. A high stress lifestyle places increased demands on their hormone-producing capability, and usually results in worsening peri-menopausal symptoms.
Adrenal and nervine tonic plants can smooth the peri-menopausal transition, relieving symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and sleep challenges. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), a potent adrenal tonic, improves resistance to stress and is useful in times of increased demand. It contains a plant compound called glycyrrhizin that is structurally similar to our stress hormones, sending a message to the body that the stress response is activated and further stimulation is not required. In addition, the steroid-like compounds in Licorice can act as oestrogen precursors, giving it mild oestrogenic properties, useful for when oestrogen production declines.
