LINDA, 46, has just had another disagreement with her 15-year-old daughter. That’s their third clash this week. The last three years has been tough for Linda. With her husband stationed overseas for work, she has been struggling to cope with caring for her aged mother and two temperamental teenagers. She also seems to be losing her cool very often nowadays especially before her periods. Though she feels drained and tired most days, sleep seems to elude her. The stress has begun to show with new fine lines popping up on her face very so often. Between the burden of her responsibilities and strained relationship with her children, Linda feels she has aged suddenly.
Hormones play a major role in a woman’s life affecting not only their reproductive development but her overall body and mind functions including energy levels, weight regulation, mood and digestion. At midlife (ages 40 - 55 years), women go through a great degree of hormonal changes in their life. A period referred to as perimenopause, it starts about five to 15 years before menopause when estrogen upheavals can cause lack of energy, increase in belly and body fat, skin dryness and psychological stress. Women cannot stop hormonal imbalance from happening at certain phases in their life but they can get help dealing with it.
Phytonutrients (plant nutrients) such as organic genistein soy isoflavones have been found to help support a woman’s hormonal well-being. Phytoestrogens are plant estrogens that has the ability to mimic the actions of estrogen in the body. The best researched phytoestrogens in support of hormonal imbalances issues is soy isoflavones. Unfortunately, good quality soy isoflavones are rare because of the abundance of cheap soy sources. Here are some helpful tips on how to choose a quality soy isoflavone product:
Choose organic More than eighty per cent (80%) of soy products in the market are genetically-modified (GMO) or pesticide-treated. Look for organically sourced soy isoflavones which means that the crop is produced without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
Active ingredient Look for active ingredients genistein and diadzein as these are the clinically proven isoflavones that is found to benefit feminine well-being.
Double standardisation Most soy extracts are standardised to about 40% of soy isoflavones but this isn’t enough. Choose a formula, which additionally standardises the active ingredients genistein and diadzein so that the dose can be utilised with optimal benefits.
Organic genistein soy isoflavones can be used during times of hormonal imbalances be it during pre-menstrual stress (PMS), times of menstrual irregularities, perimenopause or menopause. As a phytoestrogen, organic genistein works differently from evening primrose oil (EPO), which is more suited for pre-menstrual syndrome.
After discovering about organic genistein soy isoflavones online, Linda decided to give it a try. The results weren’t instant but after a month, she noticed that her skin wasn’t so dry as before. She also found that she had more energy and was sleeping better. This has made it possible for her to maintain her cool and composure when dealing with her teenage daughter. Feeling better as a woman, Linda now feels better supported to face life’s many challenges.
This article is brought to you by Nuvanta Nuvaceuticals. For more information, please contact 03-5636 3758 or email pharmacist@nuvanta.com
