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Vitamin E

From Maternity to Menopause

By Kelly Burgess

Dr. Ellen Kamhi, agrees with the recommendation for a natural supplement. Kamhi, also known as "The Natural Nurse," is the author of Cycles Of Life – Herbs & Energy Techniques for the Stages of a Woman's Life. It worries her how often synthetic substitutes for vitamins and minerals are used by doctors who don't usually have a lot of training on the subject. The result, she says, is that a woman may think she's doing the right thing, when really it may have no affect at all, or, worse, a negative affect.

"I absolutely agree with all of the recommendations about supplements for women, but that's such a teensy, weensy scratch on the surface of the subject," says Dr. Kamhi. "The fact is that there are about 10 forms of calcium, and each is absorbed at a different rate. Ferrous iron, which is often prescribed for pregnant women, is actually the wrong kind of iron because it releases dangerous free radicals. The problem is that there are no nutrition courses in medical school so, often, the doctor isn't that knowledgeable on the subject."

Dr. Kamhi always recommends that women educate themselves and don't always just take their doctors pronouncements as the ultimate word. Also, don't be afraid to do your research, take it to your doctor and show it to him. Your doctor may be more receptive than you think.

Some news organizations are calling it the story of the decade. "It" was the shocking decision in July 2002 by the Women's Health Initiative to discontinue the study of the effects of hormone replacement therapy (a study that was not supposed to end until 2006) because it had become so obvious that it did much more harm than good.

Dr. JoAnn E. Mansn of Harvard Medical School and principal investigator for the Women's Health Initiative study, now counsels women to use vitamin E combined with foods such as soymilk or tofu. Vitamin E, which in its natural form is made from soybeans, as well as soy foods, have been shown to reduce some of the more uncomfortable side effects of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings.

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Revive with Vitamins: Beauty from the Inside Out
• Eating for Your Hormones: A Natural Solution to Menopause Madness
• Smart Supplements: A Look at Prenatal Vitamins
• Talk about it!