Good News About Female Hormones

If you are afraid to use synthetic hormones due to the associated increased risk of cancer, there's good news: You can safely -- and effectively -- boost your hormone levels with hormone balancing foods and herbs. You don't need drugs!

As a woman approaches menopause, her sexual habits often change because of changing estrogen levels. Foods and herbs that provide plant estrogens are inherently much safer than those from hormone replacement drugs. Plant estrogens produce a mild estrogenic effect, which offers substantial positive support for normal libido, vaginal dryness and improved tissue integrity of the vaginal wall. And it can happen in just two weeks!

Here are two food sources of plant estrogens: Sea greens and many herbs are rich in them too. Remember that plant estrogen (remarkably similar to our own) balance your hormone levels rather than simply adding estrogen as drugs do.

Flax seeds. Four tablespoons of flax seed is equivalent to .3 mg. of estrogen. Eight tablespoons is the equivalent of .625 mg. (Note: Be sure to use flax seed or ground flax seed rather than the oil. Flax oil, although full of healthy Omega-3 oils, does not provide plant estrogen.)

Soy foods like soy flour, soy beans, tofu, tempeh and soymilk, and other legumes like green beans, provide plant chemicals that nourish and strengthen the blood vessels and support better hormone levels. One cup of soy tofu equals .3mg of estrogen. One to two portions of soy per day dramatically reduces menopausal symptoms and helps to protect your heart, bones and breast cancer risk.

Here are examples of a portion of soy: