Swan, which stands for study of women's health across the nation is by far the

largest evaluation of menopausal symptoms in history, studying 16,000 American women

between the ages of 40 and 55.

They found that women over a body mass index of 27 or higher were

significantly more likely to suffer from hot flashes or night sweats, stiffness or

soreness, and urinary leakage. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight 30 obese, and

the average U.S. BMI? 29.8. Since fatty tissue is a source for estrogen, one might expect the reverse,

but the link between excess body fat and worse menopausal symptoms

indeed seems causal, since women randomized to a weight loss intervention,

experienced significant improvement in hot flashes,

and effect that may extend to bariatric

surgery.

In the Swan study, smoking and inactivity were also associated with more frequent symptoms.

It's always a good idea to quit smoking and exercise, but there are no interventional

trials on smoking cessation and menopausal symptoms to prove cause and effect, and randomized

controlled trials of exercise failed to show any symptom or relief.

Of course, you could just take hormone therapy,

but at the cost of significantly higher risk of suffering a heart attack,

stroke, blood clot, breast cancer, or gallbladder disease.

What can we do naturally to avoid the extra clots in cancer? Hot flashes,

also referred to as hot flushes, are the most common menopausal symptoms for which women seek

treatment. They afflict up to 80 to 85 percent of European and American women lasting,

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