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Hot flashes increase diabetes risk

Back in the 1800s, women with hot flashes were called “hysterical.”

And they received some strange medical advice…

Doctors told them to drink carbonated soda before meals. Or put a belladonna plaster on their bellies. Or they got a prescription for some opium, morphine or cannabis.

Thankfully, today’s doctors don’t mention the word “hysteria” when they’re talking to their menopausal patients.

But your OB/GYN still doesn’t have a good answer for hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause symptoms. And these symptoms are not just an uncomfortable nuisance. They can be a sign of serious problems to come…

Brand new research shows that hot flashes and night sweats could increase your risk of diabetes.

That’s a big deal because diabetes affects 15% of women over 55 years. And women have a higher risk of dying from diabetes than men do.

Researchers looked at data from 150,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative. They found that women who experienced any hot flashes at all had an 18% increase in diabetes risk.

And that risk almost tripled in women with severe hot flashes!1

Researchers say it’s likely that low blood sugar is a trigger for hot flashes.

Unfortunately, doctors today have no better answer for menopausal women than they did 200 years ago.

Since 1938, Big Pharma has been pushing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms of menopause.

But the Big Pharma products billed as HRT are not hormones at all.

And taking them has been a disastrous experiment on women.

You see, there was never any proof that HRT was safe. It wasn’t until the 1990s that HRT was finally tested in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. The results were so shocking the trial had to be stopped three years early.

The WHI study showed HRT drugs increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, dementia and blood clots in the lungs and legs.

I don’t recommend these drugs to any woman. I recommend bioidentical hormones instead. Bioidentical hormones are exact replicas of your body’s missing hormones. They’re not synthetic imposters. Your body naturally and easily responds to them.

Gentle, Natural Hot Flash Relief

Through the years, I’ve tested dozens of natural herbal remedies and cures for hot flashes. They work just as well as HRT without the risk of heart disease or cancer.

Here are four I recommend to my patients:

    1. Resveratrol. A study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that resveratrol mimics the benefits of estrogen. In other words, it fakes out the body into thinking it has the estrogen levels of your youth.2You can get resveratrol from foods like red wine, red grapes, cranberries, blueberries, and peanuts. But you’d have to eat an awful lot of these foods to get the benefits. So a supplement is your best bet.Resveratrol is also an antioxidant, anti-aging powerhouse. It’s safe and natural. I recommend all my patients — men and women — take 100 mg of resveratrol daily. You can take it any time of day, with or without food.
    2. Black Cohosh. Native Americans used black cohosh to treat uterine disorders such as menstrual cramping and menopause symptoms.You’ve probably heard of this nutrient in its connection to a man’s prostate. But don’t worry. It’s a safe hair loss treatment for both men and women. You can find beta-sitosterol in avocados, pecans and pumpkin seeds.It’s the best herbal support I have found to balance estrogen and relieve hot flashes. It helps normalize your hormones and even regain your sex drive. In one six-month study black cohosh reduced the hot flash score by 85%.3Take 250 mg in tablet form three times a day.
    3. Chasteberry. In my clinic, I use chasteberry to help support natural progesterone levels. In one study, of women taking chasteberry:
      • 64% felt improvement with hot flashes or night sweats.
      • 80% improved their mood swings, depression, and personality changes.
      • 83% had less dryness and pain during intimate relations.
      • 46% improved their desire and libido.4

I recommend taking 300 mg in tablet form once a day.

  1. Red Clover. This wild herb contains natural plant estrogens called isoflavones. These compounds adapt their action to your hormone levels. If your estrogen is too high, it blocks estrogen. If it’s too low, red clover produces a gentle estrogen boost.One study showed women taking red clover slashed their daily hot flashes and night sweats by an average of nearly 75%!5Look for red clover tea on the Internet or in your health food store. Drink several cups daily for two to 10 weeks to get the benefits.You can also find red clover in tablets, capsules and extracts. Take 400 mg a day. But talk to your doctor first if you have breast cancer or fibroids, or take hormones or birth control pills.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS

1. Gray KE., et al. “Vasomotor symptom characteristics: are they risk factors for incident diabetes?” Menopause. 2017 Dec 4.
2. Sakamoto T., et al. “Effects of diverse dietary phytoestrogens on cell growth, cell cycle and apoptosis in estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells.” J Nutr Biochem. 2010 Sep.
3. Oktem M., et al. “Black cohosh and fluoxetine in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms: a prospective, randomized trial.” Adv Ther. 2007 Mar-Apr.
4. Lucks B.C.et al. “Vitex agnus-castus essential oil and menopausal balance: a self-care survey.”
Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery. August 2002.
5. Lipovac M., et al. “The effect of red clover isoflavone supplementation over vasomotor and menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women.” Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Mar.