Posts Tagged "menopause"

Whole body vibration, positive vibrations!

Posted by Liz on Apr 20, 2009 in exercise | 0 comments

Whole body vibration. Whoa! What comes to mind are those machines from the 30s and 40s with the vibrating belt. Although they didn’t work very well, it seems the principle behind them might not have been so far-fetched after all. In fact, whole-body vibration appears to enhance the positive effect that resistance training has on body composition.

Whole body vibration (WBV) was evidently based on ancient Greek principles but more recently developed by the Russians to rehabilitate astronauts who may have lost muscle and bone mass during space missions. Around for centuries, it’s currently being embraced by sports medicine clinics and fitness facilities. A quick search on the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database also shows that it’s caught the eye of researchers as well.

So what does WBV have to do with menopause?

In a small study that appears in the journal Maturitas. researchers examined the effects of WBV added to resistance training in sedentary  postmenopausal women. For eight months, 55 participants engaged in one of the following, three times a week:

• Resistance only training (weight training at 80% strength, 3 sets, 10 repetitions)
• Resistance training (as above)  plus WBV using a powerplate vibration platform
• No exercise

Study findings showed that while both resistance training alone and resistance training with WBV led to significant increases in total, arm and trunk lean body mass, only the combination of training and WBV actually significantly decreased total body fat percentage.

Clearly, larger studies are needed. But this does lend hope for accessible, safe and effective ways to combat the natural loss of lean body mass/ redistribution of body fat as we age.

As Bob Marley said…positive vibrations!

Onions and bones…nothing to cry about

Posted by Liz on Apr 17, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

I love onions. Red onions, scallions, yellow onions, spring onions, shallots; you name it. Sauteed, raw, caramelized, fried, baked. Yum! So, imagine my pleasure when I stumbled across an interesting study in the July issue of Menopause that shows a link between onion consumption and increased bone density. Yowza!

Okay, so your breath might be a bit ripe but your bones will love you for it!

Although calcium, vitamin D supplements and exercise are effective prevention tools against osteoporosis, they have not been shown to add much in the way of slowing bone loss. To address this hole in therapy, researchers have been looking towards phytochemicals, i.e. natural compounds in plants, to examine if they might increase the activity of bone building cells (osteoblasts) and decrease the activity of cells the breakdown bones (osteoclasts).

Spurred by studies in rats, researchers analyzed the bone density (repeated five times) and onion consumption (from 2 or more times daily to 1 to 6 times a year to never) in 507 perimenopausal and postmenopausal non-Hispanic white women, age 50 and older, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. Women were divided  into four groups based on their onion consumption:

• Less once/month
• 2 times a month to 2 times a week
• 3 to 6 times a week
• Once a day or more

Because certain variables are considered risk factors for osteoporosis and could influence study findings, the researchers also measured age, smoking status, calcium intake, use of vitamin D supplements, thyroid hormone levels, intensity of exercise regimens (i.e. none, moderate, vigorous), use of estrogen, and body mass index.

The findings? The more onions the women ate, the greater the increase in their bone density. In fact, women who consumed onions at least once daily had an overall bone density of their spine that was 5% greater than women who consumed onions once a month or less.

What the study didn’t tell us was the quantity (e.g. one cup) and type of onions consumed.

Studies comparing the bone density of smokers and non-smokers at different ages have shown that a bone density difference of 4% can confer a 41% greater risk of hip fracture. So while a 5% difference seems marginal at best, the potential reduction in the risk of fractures is great.

The researchers caution that certain compounds in onions, such as quercetin, have been associated with cancer causing properties. However, they note that animal studies have found no evidence of such problems. Although further study is needed to determine if women who ate onions also consume foods other than onions that might contribute to their reduced risk for osteoporosis, they believe that onions hold great promise as an addition to other measures that prevent osteoporosis.

Me? I’m all for erring on the side of onions. Tears and all!

More joys of soy

Posted by Liz on Apr 13, 2009 in heart disease, menopause | 5 comments

More news on soy. Researchers have discovered yet another component of soy isoflavones that may prove useful in improving symptoms of menopause: soy aglycons of isoflavones (SAI). Soy aglycons are a group of chemicals found in fermented soybeans and comprise a great portion of diets for Chinese and Japanese individuals. Of note, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and menopausal symptoms are often seen in a smaller percentage of these women than their European and American counterparts.

Among the various chemical molecules of soy, SAI are absorbed faster and more efficiently than other components.

In this particular study, which was just published in Nutrition & Metabolism, researchers fed rats whose ovaries had been removed either high or low doses of SAI-supplemented diets. These animals were then compared to rats with intact ovaries who were fed a regular diet.

The researchers found that rats fed supplemental SAI had significantly lower cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)  values , higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and faster liver metabolism.  The lining of the uterus was also enhanced by dietary SAI supplementation.

They said that these results suggest that SAI may help protect against or lessen symptoms during menopause that are associated with the natural decline of estrogen.  SAI might also be an effective and safe alternative to HRT, which has been linked to breast and uterine cancers. In general, SAI may protect against menopausal heart disease.

Wednesday Bubble: Promises, promises

Posted by Liz on Apr 8, 2009 in sexual desire, sexual health | 1 comment

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Have you heard of Lyriana?

Billing itself as ‘The World’s Most Powerful Sexual Enhancement Product Designed Specifically for Women,” Lyriana promises to:

• Make sex a lot better
• Increase your desire to have sex
• Increase sensitivity, lubrication and…”that rip his clothes off feeling.”

All with a money-back guarantee.

Lyriana is an over-the-counter product containing extracts from the Amm Visnaga plant Visnadine, which evidently was used in ancient Egypt to widen the blood vessels and promote blood flow. Theoretically, the use of visnadine in this matter will improve blood flow to the labia and clitoris to enhance sensitivity, promote lubrication  and improve th overall sexual experience.

According to the product website, clinical studies demonstrated the Lyriana effectively improved vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women and did so without irritation or other adverse reactions. Notably, only 27 women were enrolled in their key outcomes study.

So, what do you think? Can Lyriana effectively address sexual issues associated with menopause, including declining desire and lubrication? Or is it just a bunch of promises, promises; another bubble waiting to be popped?

Anyone?!

Sticks and stones

Posted by Liz on Apr 6, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

Remember that nursery rhyme from days gone by? It appears that vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, may be as powerful in contributing to breakage as sticks and stones. Or at least in contributing to a lower bone mineral density (BMD). BMD reflects the strength of an individual’s bone, usually in relation to calcium content.

Researchers analyzed data for 2,213 women participating in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. At the time of the study, all participants had their uteri intact, were not using hormones and were determined to be in pre- or perimenopause.  Menopausal stage and vasomotor symptoms were assessed via questionnaire and BMD was analyzed at yearly follow up visits.

The results, which are published in the March/April edition of Menopause, showed that BMD was consistently lower among women who had had vasomotor symptoms than among women who had not. These findings remained even after researchers adjusted for factors such as age, time within each menopausal stage, race/ethnicity, study site, and stage of menopause at the time that the study began.

Additionally, BMD was even lower among women who had more frequent night sweats and/or hot flashes than those who did not.

Notably, these effects varied by anatomic site and were most prevalent in the lumbar spine and hip in postmenopausal women, and at the femoral neck (pelvic region) among pre and perimenopausal women. More troubling, even women in the earliest stages of menopause also experiencing vasomotor symptoms  had lower bone mineral density than those who did not.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it is never too late to start a program aimed at halting bone loss and preventing future fractures. Because data are now suggesting that vasomotor symptoms may be linked to lower bone mineral density, it might be worthwhile to speak to your doctor to determine if you should undergo BMD testing. Other important steps include making sure that you are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium, engaging in weight-bearing activity, avoiding cigarettes and minimizing alcohol intake.

There is not time like the present to avoid potential pitfalls (no pun intended). Only you and your health practitioner can determine the proper steps to take. I’d also encourage you to read more about osteoporosis at the National Osteoporosis Website. The information is thorough and easy to navigate through.

Sticks and stones may break your bones. And hot flashes and night sweats might hurt you? Yikes!