The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 3 – Menopause

Sometimes being female feels like a cruel cosmic joke – from puberty to menopause many of us have to deal with emotional and physical suffering for 1–2 weeks out of every month, which appears to get worse and worse as we age, and then, when all that stops at menopause, and we think we can finally chill out and breathe, we’re subjected to a barrage of constant disruptions that can make the premenstrual period each month look like it was a ride at Disneyland….albeit, one of the scarier rides! To top it off, women are often gaslit or misdiagnosed by health professionals. It doesn’t have to be like that, but you do need to take control of your own health, and there may be a lot we can learn from humans living a more evolutionarily consistent lifestyle about how to keep our hormones balanced and functioning well, even into older age.

Welcome to Part 3 – Menopause…and Perimenopause

In many cultures, menopause is considered a gift: where women become the wise “grandmother”; supporting and guiding while free to enjoy other aspects of life, including vitality, joyfulness, and sexuality, with no further responsibility for pregnancy. Unfortunately, in the developed world, with our fast-paced, modern lifestyles and ultra-processed diets, women can find their quality of life deteriorating when they hit perimenopause. Menopausal symptoms – temperature fluctuations, poor sleep, mood changes, stiff joints, weight gain, brain fog, etc. – are known to plague over 80% of Western women. During the reproductive years, the influence of oestrogens leads to fat accumulation in the breasts, hips, and buttocks, while post-menopause weight gain can be in the central and visceral (around organs) areas, especially if metabolism is dysfunctional.

Menopause is the cessation of the fertile menstrual cycle in women, but there can be a number of years when fertility goes into decline – the rate of follicle disappearance increases, the ovaries shrink in size, and the ovarian hormonal output declines. The ovaries generally do not disappear completely, but the adrenals and fat tissue take over making the bulk of the androgens and oestrogens (oestrogens, mainly in the form of oestrone – E1).  There is evidence to suggest that the reproductive hormones do not have to go into a tailspin and that, with a focus on giving the body what it needs to be a healthy human animal, we can keep our reproductive hormones balanced and functioning very well, indeed.

In the West, we are also experiencing menopause at younger and younger ages. We are told that the symptoms are to be expected and the only thing we can do about them is to intervene with exogenous (coming from outside the body) hormones, which can come with side effects. Many women are searching for naturally supportive alternatives to reproductive problems, not realising how impactful simple dietary and lifestyle changes can be.

Reproductive hormone problems

In traditional Chinese practice, it is considered abnormal for a woman to experience any trouble with any part of her menstrual cycle, that a woman’s periods should come and go with as much ease as the sun rising and setting, and menopause should simply be a cessation of menstruation. There should be little to no brain fog, mood swings, joint issues, or any other of the afflictions that go hand in hand with “the change”. Important note: If anything about your cycle, perimenopause, or menopause is worrying you, please see your healthcare professional.

It is thought that rollercoaster menopausal “symptoms” are merely caused by an increasing ebb and flow of the female hormones, particularly a decreasing level of oestrogens; however, it is becoming clear that a malfunctioning metabolism, stress, nutrient deficiencies, and low progesterone are the major factors. Those things will certainly affect the internal organs that regulate and support hormonal health. Thyroid and liver health is particularly important for reproductive hormone health.

Even though a menopausal body still makes oestrogens, it is possible that some western women may experience a sort of oestrogen “withdrawal” much like going cold turkey, as their body produces lower amounts. It has been suggested that western women are exposed to higher levels of the oestrogens during their reproductive years due to “oestrogen dominance”, exposure to xenoestrogens, and low progesterone levels. Research has shown that it could be more of a drop in progesterone that causes most perimenopausal women in the West to experience a rollercoaster ride. Other researchers have demonstrated that high levels of luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) during menopause, are because regulatory nerves have lost sensitivity to higher than optimal levels of oestrogens, or oestrogen dominance.  Increases in LH and/or FSH hormones can cause many of the unpleasant physical symptoms that many women in perimenopause experience. In addition, pathologically high prolactin levels, which can be caused by things like stress, liver or thyroid issues, high tissue oestrogens, and metabolic dysfunction, can cause some of the menopausal manifestations that are blamed on “not enough oestrogen”.

Interestingly, oestrogen production also rises when stress levels are high, often without our knowledge. Blood testing during perimenopause may not tell the whole story, as oestrogen (oestrone) levels in the cells and tissues can be sufficient, or even in excess, despite blood levels of oestradiol decreasing, markedly. Oestrone is produced by the enzyme, aromatase, in many tissues in the body, including the breast and endometrium. Aromatase increases with aging. One of progesterone’s jobs is to help the cells in these tissues release oestrogens into the blood to be metabolised by the liver and then excreted. Evidence suggests that for many of us a rough menopause may simply be a continuation of the oestrogen dominance and unhealthy oestrogen/progesterone ratio, and compromised thyroid and liver function, that many western women experience for years to sometimes decades prior.

Due to healthier metabolisms and organ and gland function, low to zero rates of obesity, low to zero exposure to plastics (xenoestrogens) and lower stress levels, healthy, primitive humans have lower overall exposure to oestrogens during their reproductive lifetime, and potentially less ovarian atrophy. They appear to continue to have healthy amounts of all the reproductive hormones post-menopause, including the hugely important, and often overlooked, progesterone, plus they have healthy levels of prolactin.

Stress is a big problem for perimenopausal hormone balance because when we are stressed, our bodies cannot metabolise our oestrogens and excrete them, nor can many of us produce adequate quantities of testosterone and progesterone to balance the oestrogens. Stress can also cause increases in prolactin levels. Rampant oxidation or low redox potential and a malfunctioning circadian rhythm – the daily, natural light and dark cycle mediated by cortisol and melatonin – have been shown in research to adversely affect the menopausal transition. We need cortisol to rise and fall during the day, but our modern lifestyles, and excess stress, can lead to elevated levels into the night, or levels that rise and fall at the wrong time. Unfortunately, elevated cortisol for long periods is associated with disruptions in metabolism and weight gain.

During perimenopause, progesterone production can decrease too much, and cortisol rises without the progesterone to keep it in check. There are other physiological reasons for a small rise in menopausal cortisol, as well, but if cortisol rises TOO much it can contribute to weight gain, hormonal disruption, cardiovascular issues, and blood sugar imbalances. Progesterone also keeps postmenopausal oestrogens from causing problems, especially in breast, brain, or uterine tissue. The answer may be in keeping progesterone levels in a healthy and effective range. Sunlight exposure and sound sleep will help with this, as can keeping your thyroid and liver in top-notch condition and eating plenty of protein and fat – think animal proteins and fats, not too much in the way of plant proteins and definitely no vegetable oils, for hormone health. Animal fat contains cholesterol, which is the precursor to reproductive hormones, plus these unfairly maligned fats contain the 4 fat-soluble vitamins, so essential for reproductive hormone function.

In the end, for many of us, menopause can seem like a vicious circle of metabolic, organ, and hormonal dysfunction. Our modern lifestyle, with our high ultra-processed food diets, high stress, and exposure to pollutants and artificial light, especially at night, may very well be to blame for the epidemic proportions of women with menopausal issues. Xenoestrogens from the ubiquitous plastic in our lives are especially problematic. Excessive blue light exposure, chemical, air, and plastic pollution, alcohol consumption, central adiposity, inflammation, refined sugar and seed oils, medications, nutrient deficiencies, etc., have all been shown in research to cause or exacerbate serious metabolic complications. Hormonal and reproductive health, even after menopause, is a delicate and mysterious dance between all of our hormones. Humans are incredibly adaptable, but it appears that modern lifestyles have tipped the balance too far in the wrong direction.

The Wisdom of Ancestrally Living Humans

There are “primitive” humans, around the globe, still living close to nature, as they have for many thousands of years, whose women do not exhibit perimenopausal symptoms, nor do they gain more body fat after menopause, or experience such a steep decline into chronic ill health. It is speculated that this is because they have healthy metabolisms and hormone function due to evolutionarily consistent lifestyle practices.

The main factors appear to be:

• a nutrient-dense, animal-based diet with no ultra processed foods
• a healthy and balanced microbiome
• deep connection to the earth, nature, and each other
• supportive social networks
• appropriate activity levels
• little to no electromagnetic, plastic, chemical, or air pollution
• lower overall stress
• enjoying creativity and learning
• no pharmaceutical medications
• daily exposure to natural light (little to no artificial light – LED/fluorescent bulbs, screens, etc.)

These lifestyle practices have been shown in scientific research to support human circadian rhythms, balanced hormonal function, sound sleep, stress management, redox potential (healthy oxidative and reductive processes), and naturally high “feel good” hormones.

If you are a female at any stage of perimenopause, and you are experiencing an imbalance in reproductive hormones that is affecting your quality of life, you can also read more about supportive things you can try, here. Utilising ancestral lifestyle and dietary factors to support your hormones and metabolism, you may be able to find ways to sustain your enthusiasm and joy for life throughout your perimenopausal years and beyond.

Herbs have a long history of use in traditional practice and can be a wonderful support for female hormones.

Introducing: Good Health Peri-Meno+

Good Health Peri-Meno+ is a comprehensive formula containing scientifically researched herbs to support women through the peri and postmenopausal years. Hops has been shown to support temperature balance, mood, brain function, and relaxation in menopausal women. Black cohosh is well-known as a support for healthy mood and internal temperature comfort, and fenugreek supports hormonal balance during menopause. Ashwagandha and sage are added to support mood, brain health and function, stress management, and restorative sleep. Ashwagandha has been shown to support healthy cortisol levels. All 5 herbs have been used traditionally to support women as they move through menopause, but they also have been studied regarding their support of a healthy weight and metabolic rate, and cardiovascular and antioxidant function.

Peri-Meno+ supports:

• Temperature comfort
• Mood and stress management
• Healthy sleep
• Hormonal balance
• Cardiovascular and brain function
• Healthy metabolism, weight, and blood sugar balance

Click the following for more in the Women’s Health Series:

The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 1 – Menarche

The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 2 – Menstruation

The Female Microbiome

Ancestral Wisdom for Female Hormonal Health, Part 1

Ancestral Wisdom for Female Hormonal Health, Part 2

TAPS Approval No: PP2522