Imagine there’re no….flashes
It’s easy if you try?
Wow! What a concept, eh? Well, it might not be so far-fetched, at least according to researchers at Baylor University. Writing in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, they say that cool imagery might actually reduce the incidence of hot flashes.
Two years ago, I wrote about Baylor research that showed that hypnosis could reduce hot flashes up to 68% in breast cancer survivors. This time, the investigators asked women who had survived breast cancer to participate in five weekly hypnosis sessions and also, to describe mental images they would use for reducing hot flashes before undergoing hypnosis. Women who participated in the study were also taught self-hypnosis techniques and were encouraged to practice daily using their preferred imagery.
The results?
Overwhelmingly and not surprisingly, the women preferred cool over warm images. In fact, more than a quarter visualized something cool water-related such as a waterfall or rain or shower. Other images included cool air or wind, cool mountains, leaves and forests and snow.
The researchers say that while more study is needed, the findings might actually help to equate certain parts of the brain that are activated through imagery to those activated by perceived events. Conversely, it is possible that in the case of hot flashes, “think” cool equals “feel” cool although I remain less convinced of this personally.
Regardless, I’d love to see more on this as Baylor researchers continue to delve into the brain mechanisms that control hot flashes with their minds. Imagine that…
Read MoreNot so hot? Actually…
Have you heard of ‘Not so Hot?’ I may need to get my hands on one of these babies. Not So Hot is an aerodynamic ‘flash fan’ to cool those hot flashes in an instant. What I like about the design is that the fan is discrete and easy to carry in a purse or hand bag, whips out when you feel that flash coming on, and then folds away for the next one.
Obviously, the goal is to not have those flashes, but if you’re gonna have them, why not be prepared? Heck, the Not So Hot fans definitely appeal to me more than the Cleavage Coolers, which you may recall, remind me of rubber chickens for the menopausal set.
Have you tried ‘Not so Hot?’ What do you think?
[Disclosure – I have recently become a fan of ‘Not so Hot’ on Facebook. But I have not been approached nor paid to write about the product.]
Read MoreSets – a Freudian Slip?
Remember Cool Sets? Last year I was asked to try out their wicking PJs — (sounds wicked), which rely on Cool Balance technology — a unique weave that allows the fabric to draw moisture away from your body, speeds evaporation and leaves you cool rather than soaked and suddenly cold from that awful night sweat or hot flash. You may recall I loved the concept but wasn’t too psyched about the fashion.
Well, the folks at Cool Sets approached me again to see if they could change my mind with some of their new designs. Admittedly, when it comes to what I put on my body, I’m pretty picky, even if it’s just a tee and shorts. I was even more skeptical when the company representative wrote and described what she was sending as “sassy.” Uh-oh.
Cool Sets – I love love love what you are doing for women everywhere. But the “fun and flirty” item of clothing you sent reminds me of a vintage slip, actually, the vintage slip that I wore to a Halloween Party several years as a ‘Freudian Slip.’
Is the fashion statement behind Cool Sets a Freudian Slip? Honestly, I do believe that you are meaning one thing, and producing another. And yet again, I willing to overlook the fashion wrong to see the product right: I remain thoroughly impressed by what your product does, not how it looks.
Now, can we get you on Project Runway for a redesign?
p.s. The photo is not a close up of a Cool Sets nightgown. It is a piece of vintage lace.
[Disclosure: I received no payment from Cool Sets to write this post. They did, however, send me an article of clothing to “test drive.” No terms were expressed by other me or the company regarding what I would write or when or if I would write it.]
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: the soy controversy
Do they or don’t they?
Soy isoflavones have been touted as beneficial in everything from improving body composition and lowering breast and colorectal cancer, to addressing menopausal hot flashes and moods. You can read about some of these findings on Flashfree. This week, Reuters Health reported that eating foods rich in soy protein (i.e. 25 grams of soy protein and 60 mg isoflavones) daily did not provide favorable responses from blood fats, implying that soy has little benefit in terms of lowering cholesterol levels and in turn, promoting heart health.
Are you confused yet?
Increasingly, women are turning to soy and other compounds as alternatives to estrogen and hormone replacement therapy, which mounting evidence shows can be associated with a broad range of risks including increased breast, lung and ovarian cancer to heart disease. And yet, findings from clinical trials examining soy are often contradictory, making it difficult to come to any firm conclusion about its benefits.
What’s the problem? Well, researchers say that part of the problem is poorly designed studies, small number of study participants, wide range of ages and years from menopause, studies that don’t examine the pros and cons of an agent or strategy for a long enough period of time (i.e. longer than a year). In other cases (as I’ve argued previously), the study design does not account for certain factors that are critical to a therapeutic strategy, for example, the opportunity to clearly focus an intervention so that individual factors are accounted for (this was borne out by findings from a trial that examined and provided evidence for the role of acupuncture in easing hot flashes).
There’s good news though! Researchers finally appear to be getting their act together on the soy fron. They’ve announced that they are conducting a well-designed, large trial of soy phytoestrogens. Called SPARE (Soy Phytoestrogens as Replacement Estrogen), this new study will be looking at the effects of 200 mg soy versus sugar tablet daily — namely on bone health and symptoms — in 248 menopausal women over a two- year period. They will also be taking daily calcium carbonate plus vitamin D (in ranges of 500 mg to 1000 mg calcium and 200 to 400 IU vitamin D, depending on previous intake).
The study is specifically geared towards looking at spine bone density, but will also be looking at hip density, thyroid levels, menopausal symptoms, mood changes, depression, and quality of life, as well as any changes in blood fats. Study participants are between the ages of 45 and 60 and are within five years from menopause. What’s more, the researchers have also included a large percentage of hispanic women, which allows them to focus on how soy affects this minority group (Notably, the large multiethnic population of women in this study includes Asians, Blacks and Caucasians.)
The researchers say that they hope that the results of SPARE will provide a range of information that is especially relevant to Boomers reaching menopause. They also note that the dose of soy isoflavones being studied is much larger than what’s been studied in previously and are roughly twice that typically consumed in the Asian diet.
I realize that this post is pretty scientific. But what makes it most relevant is that it appears that researchers are finally starting to design studies that might actually show benefit of some of the alternative strategies we have available to us on the market. For those of you who insist on calling these alternatives “snake oil,” all I can say is ‘stay tuned.’
This bubble might finally be shattered; perhaps all that is needed is a better understanding of what it needs to test these substances appropriately.
Read MoreHope for hops: hot flashes and night sweats
Do you remember last August’s post about beer and bone health? If not, research suggests that beer boosts bone density, or more specifically, a certain component in hops — namely female flowers — have high estrogen properties that help bone formation. More recently, researchers have been evaluating a standardized hop extract (8-prenylnaringenin) for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. Among the many phytoestrogens contained in the female hop flowers, 8-prenylnaringen has been associated in laboratory studies with the highest estrogenic potency compared to others.
In a small, randomized, scientifically-sound study, researchers assigned menopausal women to either a hops extract 8-prenylnaringenin for eight weeks or placebo for 8 weeks; then they switched. Although both groups showed modest reductions in mild vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats) during the first 8-week period, only women taking the hops extract after first taking placebo experienced higher average reductions in their flashes and sweats. Although these changes were not considered “significant” they did lead the researchers to conclude that preparations containing 8-prenylnaringenin might offer an alternative to hormones for women who experience mild vasomotor symptoms.
Are hops completely safe?
Most people do not experience side effects when taking hops. However, like any herb or drug, reactions are individual. In some people, hops can cause allergic skin reactions (e.g. rash) when handled. Hops can also cause mild drowsiness, which is why hop extracts shouldn’t be taken with sedatives. In some cases, hops has been shown to lower blood sugar levels. And of course, as a phytoestrogen, it should not be used at the same time as hormone replacement and only under doctor supervision if you’ve had breast cancer.
So, it’s too soon to tell. But indeed, there’s hope for hops!
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: 5-HTP
With increasing evidence that hormone replacement therapy significantly increases the risk for breast and ovarian and deaths from lung cancer, as well as heart disease, stroke and other conditions, researchers are constantly looking for effective replacements to address the troublesome symptoms of menopause. Any regular reader of this blog knows that I wholeheartedly support the quest and devote my time to providing evidence-based information on alternatives.
Of late, there’s been a lot of interest in the use of antidepressants, in particular, the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), in managing hot flashes. Study results vary, although paroxetine (better known as Paxil) has been probably studied most extensively and shown to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. On the other hand, SSRIs have also been possibly implicated in heart disease during menopause. So, it is a crapshoot.
Is there a safer form? For example, is the herbal form of the precursor to serotonin — 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) – as effective SSRIs in reducing hot flashes?
Evidently, the answer is no.
In a very small study among menopausal women who reported hot flashes, researchers compared the effects of 5-HTP (150 mg taken daily) to placebo on hot flash frequency. At this particular dose, no significant effects were seen. In fact, on average, women had about the same number of flashes before and after the study.
Sad to burst this bubble because I am a fan of 5-HTP. At the moment, however, it looks as though you’ll need to try a prescription antidepressant if you choose to go that route to address hot flash symptoms.
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