Navigating a Season of Hormonal Change
Typically, we associate menopause with hot flashes, weight gain, sleep disruption, brain fog, and mood shifts — but increased inflammation is also a very real aspect of the process. This has serious implications for those with autoimmunity, as it can compound the condition. As you may know, menopause is also linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease — which is also associated with inflammation. Here we discuss how to navigate this season of life to not only lower inflammation but also protect overall health.
Menopause, Autoimmunity, & Inflammation
It may come as a surprise to learn that nearly every organ has estrogen receptors, so when this important hormone fluctuates and lessens during menopause, it has a significant impact on health. Add to this the fact that estrogen is powerfully anti-inflammatory — so when levels decline it triggers a cascade of low-grade inflammation throughout the body.1 What’s more, estrogen influences immune function and is involved in the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation underscores this fact by noting “a higher rate of autoimmune diseases in postmenopausal women when compared to men, as well as by the variation of chronic inflammatory disease activity with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.”2
Because of this, the team points out that menopausal women are more prone to develop “immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, that the pathology of multiple sclerosis worsens after menopause, and that post-menopausal women are more prone to stronger immune responses.”
Menopausal women also experience a decline in brain glucose metabolism and mitochondrial respiration; myelin catabolism; as well as a reduction in white matter volume in the brain due to the increased inflammatory responses.
Cardiovascular disease is also linked with both inflammation and menopause. Estrogen helps to protect your heart as it increases “good” HDL cholesterol, decreases “bad” LDL cholesterol, relaxes the vascular system, and counteracts free radicals that can damage your arteries.3
When estrogen levels drop during peri-menopause and into menopause, LDL cholesterol levels rise and HDL cholesterol decreases, which can lead to a fatty build-up in the arteries that contributes to heart attack and stroke. Moreover, low-grade chronic inflammation is directly tied to atherosclerosis due to the role inflammatory white cells play in plaque formation and progression, along with the development of endothelial cell dysfunction and foam cell formation.4
If you are concerned about the impact aging, menopause, and/or inflammation is having on your heart, see our Heart Health Blend for a convenient, yet powerful formulation to protect cardiovascular health.
Cooling The Inflammatory Response
Whether traveling the path of menopause or contending with another condition associated with inflammation, your day-to-day lifestyle choices can have a major effect on your level of inflammation and symptoms. Here are a few tips that will help you to cool the inflammatory response:
Don’t underestimate the power of your food choices. Aim for a whole-foods, anti-inflammatory green Mediterranean-style diet. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Lower stress. If you smoke or drink alcohol regularly — quit. Spend time in nature. Stay positive and practice gratitude. Exercise — low-impact and moderate is best. Pray. Hug. Stretch. Lastly, make sure to get enough rejuvenating rest each night — our Sleep Blend can help.
When viewed on a holistic spectrum, every aspect of our lives contributes to well-being, and whether or not we struggle with systemic inflammation and the subsequent health impacts. So choose wisely and consciously every day.
Pure ingredients. Intentional formulas. Real results.
We can also harness the power of herbs to support overall health. Our Mushroom FOURtress Bundle contains dual-extracted, fruiting body tinctures of cordyceps, lion’s mane, reishi, and turkey tail medicinal mushrooms to help cool inflammation, manage autoimmunity, improve cognitive health, protect against the harmful effects of stress, and much more.
MY FOURTRESS AGAINST HASHIMOTO’S AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
“I just tested with my Naturopathic Doctor and everything is normal and beautiful. Thank you for making these tinctures available so I can stay consistent everyday. Much Love and Prayers.” -Sherry
If you need extra help balancing the female hormonal system, our potent Menopause Blend contains both black cohosh and red clover — two traditional herbal remedies used to help ease symptoms and health concerns of menopause. Often used before bedtime to combat nighttime symptoms, it may be used for daytime support as well.
WORKED THE FIRST NIGHT!
“Absolutely love this product and it worked the first night I used it to keep night sweats minimal!” -Christian
Stop by my apothecary today and learn more about these and many other plant-powered herbal formulations that can help you to achieve your wellness goals!
Nicole Apelian
Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post
Heart Health Blend Tincture
Mushroom FOURtress Bundle
Menopause Blend Tincture
Sleep Blend Tincture
References
- “Beyond Hot Flashes” by Maureen Salamon, Harvard Health Publishing | Harvard Medical School, September 1, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/beyond-hot-flashes
- McCarthy, M., Raval, A.P. The peri-menopause in a woman’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegenerative disease. J Neuroinflammation 17, 317 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9
- “How Estrogen Supports Heart Health” Cleveland Clinic, February 6, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/estrogen-and-heart-health
- Alfaddagh A, Martin SS, Leucker TM, Michos ED, Blaha MJ, Lowenstein CJ, Jones SR, Toth PP. Inflammation and cardiovascular disease: From mechanisms to therapeutics. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2020 Nov 21;4:100130. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2020.100130. PMID: 34327481; PMCID: PMC8315628.
