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As women approach their mid-40s, they may start to notice changes in their bodies. These can range from feeling moodier to poor sleep, skin changes, or taking longer to recover from soreness after exercise.
While these changes are a natural part of the perimenopausal journey, many women don’t realise that slight changes in hormones might be the reason behind feeling snappy, restless, or just not feeling great.
In this article, we'll explore some common unexpected symptoms, how to know if your hormones are changing, and how a natural remedy, Siberian rhubarb ERr 731™ found in Estrovera® can help.
The Unexpected Symptoms of Perimenopause
Perimenopause can bring about a variety of symptoms that catch you off guard. These can include moodiness, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, and joint pain. You might wonder why these symptoms are happening and what you can do about them. The root cause of many perimenopausal symptoms is hormonal changes. As hormone levels change, several things happen in the body:
Mood Changes: Lower oestrogen levels in perimenopause can impact levels of feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, which are crucial for mood balance.¹,² While this affects some women more than others, for those it does impact, you might notice irritability, a busy mind or feeling a bit low that you might not recognise as hormonal symptoms.
Sleep Disturbances: With less frequent or shorter menstrual cycles, these can impact levels of a hormone produced at ovulation called progesterone, which influences brain chemicals that support sleep.³ As a result, you might notice that it’s harder to either fall or stay asleep.
Vaginal Dryness and Joint Pain: Changes in oestrogen levels are also linked to reduced collagen in the skin's dermal layers. This reduction results in tissue thinning and loss of elasticity, linked to vaginal dryness and joint pain.⁴
Strategies to Support Perimenopausal Relief
When it comes to supporting hormonal balance, working with a Healthcare Practitioner can provide a wealth of valuable information on how diet, mindfulness, nutrition and herbal medicines can help support balance.
One of the tools they might discuss is natural plant-based extract, ERr 731™, shown to help improve mood, support sleep and ease vaginal dryness and joint pain in as little as four weeks.⁵
In action, ERr 731™ works by gently stimulating oestrogen receptors to help offset the body's sensitivity to fluctuating or low levels of oestrogen, thereby mitigating perimenopausal symptoms,⁴ discussed further in this article.
How Do I Know If My Hormone Levels Are Starting to Change?
Perimenopause is a gradual process, with subtle changes starting to take place from the age of 40. It’s likely your unique timing might be like your own mother’s,⁶ but the best way to learn about your hormone changes is to start tracking your menstrual cycle.
This can be done using simple information, such as your body temperature, premenstrual symptoms, and menstrual timing per month. We spoke to one of our in-house naturopaths, and this is how they explained cycle changes during perimenopause:
“The menstrual cycle has two halves, the first half takes place between menstruation and ovulation and lasts around 16 days. The second half takes place between ovulation and menstruation, and lasts around 12 days on average.⁷"
"From 25 to 45, the length of each half of our cycle reduces by around 1 full day every 5 years.⁷"
"What this means is that as your cycles start to get shorter, there is less exposure to hormones that help maintain our mood, sleep, skin and joint repair, which can come with symptoms.⁸”
Supporting Natural Hormonal Changes In Your 40s
The perimenopausal journey can bring about a variety of unexpected symptoms. Understanding these symptoms can help women navigate this phase. Natural remedies like Siberian rhubarb ERr 731™ found with Estrovera® offer promising relief, while tracking menstrual cycles can reveal insights into hormone changes. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. Understanding the changes happening in your body and finding the right support can make all the difference.
References
- Del Río JP, Alliende MI, Molina N, Serrano FG, Molina S, Vigil P. Steroid hormones and their action in women's brains: the importance of hormonal balance. Front Public Health. 2018 May 23;6:141. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00141.
- Barth C, Villringer A, Sacher J. Sex hormones affect neurotransmitters and shape the adult female brain during hormonal transition periods. Front Neurosci. 2015 Feb 20;9:37. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00037
- Elsevier Clinical Key [Internet]. Melbourne (AUS): Elsevier; 2021. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: [updated 2021 February 26; cited 2021 Jul 12]. Available from https://www.clinicalkey.com.au. subscription required to view.
- Wober J, Möller F, Richter T, et al. Activation of estrogen receptor-beta by a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731), its aglycones and structurally related compounds. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Nov-Dec;107(3-5):191-201. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2007.04.002
- Shah J, Chandanani S, Reddy J, et al. Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Rheum rhaponticum root extract (ERr 731) for menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal Indian women: an interim analysis. J Mid-life Heal. 2021;12(2):108-115. doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_86_21
- Bentzen JG, Forman JL, Larsen EC, et al. Maternal menopause as a predictor of anti-Mullerian hormone level and antral follicle count in daughters during reproductive age. Hum Reprod. 2013;28(1):247-255. doi:10.1093/humrep/des356
- Bull JR, Rowland SP, Scherwitzl EB, Scherwitzl R, Danielsson KG, Harper J. Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles. NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:83. Published 2019 Aug 27. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7
- Mumford SL, Steiner AZ, Pollack AZ, et al. The utility of menstrual cycle length as an indicator of cumulative hormonal exposure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97(10):E1871-E1879. doi:10.1210/jc.2012-1350