Let's pause for some facts on menopause

Did you know that today, Oct. 18, is World Menopause Day? It’s that one special day of the year when countries around the world are challenged to take a pause and make menopausal health a principal concern.

 Menopause is a natural condition that all women experience as they age. It is that stage in a woman’s life when she stops menstruating and starts experiencing hormonal changes in her body. Her biological clock starts ticking so loud she can’t but listen to the symptoms: hot flushes, erratic menstrual periods, tiredness, joint and muscular aches, lack of concentration, decreased libido, vaginal dryness, urgency of urination, anxiety and depression, nagging mood swings, and sagging skin tone. Sadly, most women, even as early as in their perimenopause (early 40s) years, feel it’s the beginning of the end  it could be all downhill from here.

Unlike men whose testosterone (male hormone) generally does not get depleted with age (although there’s such a thing as andropause or male menopause), women experience a decline in estrogen (female hormone) when their menstruation stops. Which explains the unpleasant symptoms.

Some 47 million women worldwide enter menopause each year. Of these, two out of three women experience menopause symptoms, especially what’s called vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Menopausal women are often described as itchy, bitchy, sweaty, sleepy.

Levity aside, menopause can be an alarming, unnerving, confusing (due to lack of awareness of this often dreaded issue) time in a woman’s life, which is why women seek medical help or treatment. For decades, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) was used to relieve symptoms of menopause. But the use of HRT declined after several studies indicated that it may not be safe. According to the Journal of The North American Menopause Society, “for some women, even using HRT for less than two years can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and venous thromboembolic disease.”

Today, more and more women are turning to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) to treat menopause-related problems. Because now they know that while menopause is no walk in the park, it is not a disease but simply another eventful chapter in their lives they can look forward to, without worrying about the things they used to stress about.

For managing menopause, empowered women know that natural is best. And now, women (in their perimenopause and post-menopause years) have found a BFF (best friend forever) in Neufemme, a natural botanical supplement that manages menopause and offers safe and effective relief for its symptoms and discomforts. It combines the potent natural botanical extracts from Vigna radiata beans (mung beans or monggo) and the Eucommia ulmoides bark, a traditional Chinese herb used since the ancient times.

Not just another herbal supplement for menopause, Neufemme is unique in that it helps the body use its own estrogen more effectively, thus triggering many vital processes in the body.

What’s more, it’s clinically proven to be safe and effective. “It’s backed up by a clinical study,” stresses Johnny Bacud Jr., company pharmacist of Dyna Drug Corporation, exclusive distributor of NeuFemme.

Initial in vitro studies show that Nutrafem (what NeuFemme is called in Singapore) “activates estrogen receptor systems without increasing breast cancer cell proliferation.” Which goes to show it can effectively and safely treat menopausal discomforts.

OTC herbal supplement: Available in packs of 30 and 90 capsules, Neufemme by Singapore-based Bionutra is exclusively distributed by Dyna Drug Corporation. It is available at selected Mercury Drug stores.

Clinical studies show that Neufemme provided quick action relief in just seven days. Neufemme reduced the frequency of hot flushes in 90 percent of the women who were put on it while 77 percent experienced reduction in menopause symptoms and 79 percent experienced reduction in psychological symptoms.

Women around the world are happy to know that Neufemme is safe: It does not affect liver or kidney function. It does not affect the uterus. There are not side effects related to it as it uses only all-natural ingredients.

And then there are the extras or added bonus that women get from using Neufemme, such as improved skin elasticity, radiant skin as it combats the damaging effects of free radicals, and overall well-being as it encourages deeper sleep and enhances one’s moods.

True to its promise, Neufemme brings balance back into the body, empowering every woman to look young and feel great even in her mature years.

FDA-approved, Neufemme is best taken after meals  two to four capsules, depending on the severity of the symptoms, two in the morning and two in the evening with an interval of 12 hours. It is available over the counter at selected Mercury Drug stores at P30/capsule.

With Neufemme, together with a change in mindset and lifestyle, women can beat menopause. For all ye women out there, smoking is not only bad for the skin (and for the health), it can also hasten the onset of menopause. On the other hand, a good diet and exercise (like the Kegel) can help in managing menopause.

“Menopause is a part of the life stage of a woman, something that can be dealt with via an info campaign probably spearheaded by the Philippine Society of Climacteric Medicine,” says Geng Domingo, Dyna Drug assistant brand manager.

 Indeed, there’s life after menopause.