The introduction is also posted on Spotify as a podcast by “Gerry at The Health Equation”

You can search Spotify for “Gerry at The Health Equation”

Or use the link below

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gerrygaj

Below is the specific link

Gerry Gajadharsingh writes:

“After 2002, when research linked HRT and breast cancer risk, the number of women taking HRT dropped dramatically. Newer research that has followed women for a longer amount of time suggests the link between HRT and breast cancer risk is more complex than first thought, but using HRT remains a controversial topic.

 Last year campaigners such as Davina McCall put HRT back on the map. Around that time, I had several women patients contacting me wanting me to check the hormone levels to see if they needed HRT, I did not find any hormonal change in any of the women I tested! Perimenopause and menopausal symptoms can often be caused by other things not just a change in hormones. This doesn’t mean some women don’t need HRT, as always it just depends. The recent research in The Times suggests that eating 30 plants a week can significantly impact menopause symptoms and even Davina McCall said this was staggering.

 The American Cancer Society says oestrogen-only HRT is not linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. The Women’s Health Initiative studies also found no increase in breast cancer risk in women using systemic oestrogen-only HRT.

 But it’s very important to know that in women who have a uterus, using systemic oestrogen-only HRT has been shown to increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Other studies have found a link between systemic oestrogen-only HRT and a higher risk of ovarian cancer.

Oestrogen-only HRT is usually taken only by women who have had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus).

 Combination HRT usually is taken by women who still have their uterus. Oestrogen-only HRT can cause the lining of the uterus to become too thick — a condition called oestrogen-associated endometrial hyperplasia. This can increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, called endometrial or uterine cancer. The progesterone in combination HRT helps to prevent this condition.

It’s not fully understood why HRT increases the risk of breast cancer, but research suggests that this is sometimes due to the higher levels of oestrogen. Some (although not all) breast cancers can use oestrogen to help them to grow. The increased risk of breast cancer with combined HRT is thought to be due to the hormonal stimulation of breast tissue, particularly the proliferative effects of progestin (progesterone) in conjunction with oestrogen.

 There are some factors that can influence the risk of cancer.

How long you take HRT for. The longer you use HRT, the greater the risk 

The type of HRT you are taking. Breast cancer risk is greater with combined HRT (which contains oestrogen and progestogen) than with oestrogen-only HRT.

Oestrogen only HRT increase the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer if given to women who still have a uterus.

 HRT may be needed to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms and may be tolerated well in some women.

 However, as always, there is an alternative and the recent research by Kings College London looking at 4,287 women in the UK, 1,000 perimenopausal and 3,287 postmenopausal and found that those who include 30 varieties of plant foods in their diet were up to 44% less likely to suffer psychological symptoms such as depression and 32% likely to suffer physical symptoms such as night sweats.

 Therefore, combining dietary approaches, short term nutritional supplementation and stress management strategies such as breathing education, can often help a fair proportion of women suffering from perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, without the need to resort to HRT with its side effects and risk profile.”

 

The Times

Antonia Hoyle

Research has concluded that eating a wider variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds could alleviate symptoms. Antonia Hoyle has strategies to make it easier

Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, mood swings and weight gain. The 30-week study by King’s College London and Zoe, the science and nutrition company, tracked 4,287 women in the UK — 1,000 perimenopausal and 3,287 postmenopausal — and found that those who included this variety of plant-based foods were up to 44 per cent less likely to suffer psychological symptoms such as depression and 32 per cent less likely to experience physical symptoms such as night sweats.

The concept of consuming 30 plants a week originated in 2018 when researchers at the American Gut Project found that participants who ate 30 or more different types of plant a week had a more diverse gut microbiome. On the plus side, you are not limited to vegetables and fruit but can also include other plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds, pulses and wholegrains.

Nonetheless, how feasible is it to prepare and consume such a huge variety of healthy foods while holding down a job, caring for children, keeping some semblance of order at home and maintaining one’s sanity in the midst of it all? Surprisingly, it is not as hard as it seems.

Soy — which contains isoflavones, phytoestrogens that can act in a similar way to human oestrogen and has been found to reduce hot flushes and night sweats — can be frozen and added to stir-fries. So too can mushrooms, spinach, garlic and herbs. “You can also freeze shop-bought packets of stir-fried vegetables to up your quota, and freeze portions of trickier-to-prepare vegetables such as butternut squash to eat over several weeks,” Southern says.

Tinned vegetables such as sweetcorn, kidney beans and lentils — high in fibre and protein, and linked to lower blood pressure — can be bought in budget multipacks that keep for months, then drained and added straight to salads, bologneses and chillies. “They’re every bit as nutritious as their fresh counterparts and infinitely less time-consuming to prepare,” Southern says. And there’s no quicker, more comforting meal than beans on toast.

Fermented vegetables such as kimchi are a low faff way of incorporating multiple vegetables into your diet. “They feed your healthy gut microbiome, which can affect everything from brain health to blood sugar levels,” says Southern, who cites a kimchi on sale in Ocado from the manufacturer Vadasz that contains white cabbage, cucumber, dill, garlic, black peppercorns and caraway. “That’s six plants. You can put a dollop into a sandwich and it keeps well in the fridge. It’s not about consuming a huge quantity of each but the variety,” she says.

Homemade hummus — made by blending a can of chickpeas with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and tahini (sesame seed paste) — “is so easy to make”, says Southern, who adds that chickpeas are a brilliant plant addition. “They help lower cholesterol and the balance of protein to carbohydrate helps support a healthy gut microbiome.

Sprinkle seeds on breakfasts and salads

Seeds such as sunflower, pumpkin, flax and chia provide protein and can be added to meals for extra plant power with minimal effort. “They’re a great source of protein, fibre, essential fats and trace nutrients such as magnesium and zinc,” Southern says. You can buy mixed bags of four or five ground seeds in supermarket baking sections, which will provide maximum variety for less faff.”

Sprinkling spices over your meals doesn’t just make them taste better, it improves the plant content. Cinnamon, which can be added to Middle Eastern food and cakes, has been shown to fight inflammation and lower cholesterol; turmeric, tasty in rice dishes and soup, also has anti-inflammatory properties; and sage, great on meats, helps to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical in the brain that drops in those with Alzheimer’s disease. “More expensive brands have a stronger taste and smell, but I suspect supermarket own brands offer the same health benefits,” Southern says.

Combine a third of a glass of oats — a plant shown to reduce cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels — with two tablespoons of mixed seeds, water, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a handful of frozen fruit, leave in the fridge overnight and you have “a brilliant way to increase your plant levels”, Southern says. “Frozen berries don’t look particularly nice on their own when defrosted but added to porridge or puddings they’re brilliant.”

Easily forgotten allium vegetables, including garlic, onions and leeks, are a low-budget way to incorporate more vegetables into your sauces. “They work as a base for everything from curries to soup and bolognese,” Southern says. “Onion can be bought pre-chopped and frozen for zero preparation and, like garlic and leeks, contains inulin, a prebiotic, which the good bacteria in our gut needs to thrive.”