Q: What is the best herbal product for a lady with low bone density who has been diagnosed with an early menopause at 42 years?  She wants to try and get her periods back. 

A: If there is no medical reason for the early menopause, it is well worth following a nutritional approach to try and get the periods back. A while back a lady of 40 came into the clinic because her periods had stopped suddenly and she was getting hot flushes.  She had been to see her doctor and blood tests showed she was menopausal. I asked her what had been happening around the time that her periods ceased and she said that she had been made redundant and had also lost her father.

I explained that the aim would be to ensure that she was as healthy as possible, addressing any problems with her diet, checking out any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, working on her stress levels and using some herbs to help balance her hormones. Within a couple of months, her periods returned and a further test at her doctors showed that she was no longer ‘menopausal’.

During times of stress, the body starts to shut down the reproductive system in order to give that woman the resources she needs to cope with what is going on.

Agnus castus is very much the herb of choice when trying to bring back periods as it has a balancing effect on hormones.  (The one I would suggest is Agnus Castus Plus which also contains other helpful herbs – see Resources the Page).

Inadequate calcium significantly contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Many published studies show that low calcium intake throughout life is associated with low bone density and high fracture rates.

National nutrition surveys have shown that many women and young girls consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to grow and maintain healthy bones. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the body and it plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life. In addition to building and maintaining healthy bones, calcium allows blood to clot, nerves to send messages, muscles to contract and other body functions. Each day, our bodies lose calcium through skin, nails, hair, sweat, urine and faeces. The human body cannot produce calcium on its own. That’s why it’s important to try to get enough calcium through the foods you eat. When your diet does not have enough calcium for your body’s needs, calcium is taken from the bones. Calcium is therefore one of the most important minerals involved in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and adequate amounts of calcium in your diet can help reduce bone loss by 30 – 50 percent!

 

Food sources of calcium include dairy products, sesame seeds and green leafy vegetables such as kale and cabbage.  Avoid spinach because it contains oxalic acid which can block the absorption of calcium.  But when you are approaching the menopause, when the risk of osteoporosis increases due to declining levels of oestrogen, supplementing with calcium can ensure you get good amounts.

 

There are many forms of calcium supplements available but in order to be effective calcium must be absorbed properly and that’s why I recommend either calcium citrate or the chelated forms of calcium which are the easiest form for most women to absorb.

 

For maximum absorption, take your calcium supplements with food and also make sure you are taking enough magnesium and vitamin D (see below).

 

Magnesium also plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones. It contributes to increased bone density and helps prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Most women do not get enough magnesium in their diets, especially if they eat large amounts of processed foods in which much of the magnesium is removed. Good food sources of magnesium include brown rice, buckwheat, corn, rye, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts.

 

Since magnesium works closely with calcium, it is important to have an appropriate ratio of both minerals in order for them to be effective. In my opinion it would be better to have more magnesium than calcium and most women in the clinic are deficient in magnesium but getting good amounts of calcium.  Again magnesium citrate or chelated magnesium will be more easily absorbed than the inorganic forms e.g. magnesium oxide or magnesium sulphate.  But the inorganic forms will be cheaper so as with most supplements you get what you pay for, so if you can get the minerals that are most easily absorbed, your body has less work to do and you will not need to take as much.  For example, we know that calcium citrate is 30% more absorbable than calcium carbonate

If you suffer from depression you may want to get your bone density levels checked! New research suggests depression could increase the risk of developing the bone disorder – osteoporosis.

Researchers from the US National Institute of Mental Health found that 17 per cent of depressed women – compared to just two percent of those who were not suffering from depression – had thinner bones in the hip area. The researchers believe depressed women have overactive immune systems and this can cause the production of too many chemicals that can cause inflammation and bone loss. The women tested in the study were using antidepressants but no link was found between the drugs and the thinning of the women’s bones.