Sunlight, brisk walks, and B-vitamins can go a long way in reducing many of the symptoms associated with menopause.
For many women, these three alone will be enough to help them through the transition, said Marie-Annette Brown, PhD, of the Center for Women’s Research, University of Washington.
The entire spectrum of physiological and psychological changes that women go through during midlife have, unfortunately, been reduced down to a set of blunt questions: Should a woman be on HRT? If so, must she take one of the synthetic formulas promoted by the pharmaceutical companies, or should she go “natural” with botanically-based products from the nutraceutical industry?
What gets lost in this simplistic thinking, is the fact that loss of estrogen, while central to the changes of menopause, is only one of a number of changes. The impact of the estrogen changes will vary considerably from woman to woman. “It is not about whether or not to take estrogen. It is about, ‘What does this woman feel right now, which of these symptoms are menopause-related, and which are not?’ It is about, ‘What does she want and need right now, and how do we best help her to get there,'” Dr. Brown told Holistic Primary Care.
She and her colleagues have developed an innovative program called LEVITY (Light, Exercise and Vitamin Intervention Therapy), a multimodal non-hormonal approach that combines sun exposure, moderate physical activity, and a specially-formulated combination of B-vitamins, selenium and vitamin D. By targeting serotonin deficiencies associated with menopause, LEVITY can reverse many of the non-estrogenic physical and emotional symptoms.
The LEVITY intervention consists of the following: 20-minute walks during daylight hours 5 days per week, plus once-daily dosing with the LEVITY formula, which contains vitamins B1 (thiamine) 50 mg, B6 (pyroxidine) 50 mg, B2 (riboflavin) 50 mg, folic acid 400 mcg, selenium 200 mcg, and vitamin D 400 IU. The supplement formula is manufactured by Geneva Health & Nutrition, Carlsbad, CA (www.geneva-health.com. 1-800-610-0542).
The program was originally developed as a non-pharmacologic therapy for the “Body Blues”—the constellation of chronic “vegetative” symptoms of depression (overeating and weight gain, low energy, irritability, sleep difficulties, concentration problems, reduced libido, mild anxiety or depression, daytime drowsiness), that can affect women of all ages.
In a recently published trial involving 112 women ranging in age from 19 to 78, the LEVITY program was compared with a placebo vitamin intervention, and was found to produce marked reductions in depression scores and significant improvement in mood as measured by a variety of clinical assessment scales (Brown MA, et al. Women & Health 2001; 34(4): 93–112).
Dr. Brown stressed that the program was equally effective in both pre and post-menopausal patients. The latter had major improvements in 10 of the most commonly reported symptoms and risk factors associated with menopause including: carbohydrate cravings, depressed mood, low energy, irritability, anxiety, risk of osteoporosis, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Twenty five percent of these patients lost weight even though we did not ask them to diet,” she said, adding that daily walks and folic acid both contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction, and that both physical activity and vitamin D are associated with maintenance of bone density in post-menopausal women.
Dr. Brown, co-author of the popular book When Your Body Gets the Blues (Rodale Press), explained that estrogen is not the only thing that drops during menopause. Serotonin levels, which tend to correlate with estrogen in women, also drop. “When estrogen fluctuates it pulls serotonin around with it.” Both sunlight and exercise boost serotonin, and also increase blood flow and glucose supply to the brain. This is further supported by B vitamins. “You need B6 as a cofactor in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, and yet 50% of American women are B6 deficient,” she said.
Since the LEVITY program does not contain estrogens in any form, it will not address vasomotor symptoms. While many women do have major problems with hot flashes and night sweats, others do not. And for the latter, LEVITY is a good starting point for menopause management, especially if a patient is adamant in her desire for a non-drug approach.
However, LEVITY is also fully compatible with both conventional and botanical estrogen replacement regimens. Dr. Brown said she has a number of patients who are on the LEVITY program in conjunction with HRT in many different forms, and she has observed no ill effects from the combination.
