Vitamin E is as effective as estrogen for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy

One of the most common experiences of menopause are the changes that occur on the external genital tissue and intra-vaginal tissue, which can also affect urinary function. This is called genitourinary atrophy aka genitourinary syndrome. Many women experience one or more of the following symptoms in their genitourinary system when lacking hormones: vaginal discomfort, itching, burning, dryness, post-coital bleeding, thinning of tissue, bladder leakage, and/or urinary incontinence.

There are many options to address these genitourinary atrophic changes and symptoms. The most common conventional prescription is vaginal estrogen. However, many women do not feel comfortable using estrogen due to a variety of reasons and seek other options including over the counter lubricants, moisturizers, and herbal or nutritional supplements.

A study published in 2019 in the International Urogynecology Journal showed Vitamin E suppositories as an effective alternative to vaginal estrogen cream for relieving the symptoms of vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. 52 postmenopausal women aged 40-65 years were randomly divided into two groups: vitamin E vaginal suppository and conjugated estrogen vaginal cream. Participants used the medications for 12 weeks. Improvement after the 12th week showed that the treatment was successful in both groups.

Vitamin E suppositories are excellent alternatives for any women with genitourinary syndrome symptoms. This not only includes postmenopausal women but also women who are not able to use hormone therapy like women diagnosed with hormonal cancers.

REFERENCE

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971469/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believes that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms. With her scientific background, Dr Fey uses science based natural approaches to treating disease.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center for Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Dr Fey is currently offering telemedicine for patients all across the US. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.  

Some Healthy Recipes To Keep Our Immune Systems Strong

I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen trying out new recipes. Here are two of my most recent recipe finds that were really yummy (they were even Fey children approved ;-)). The last recipe, gluten & dairy free banana bread, isn’t a new recipe find but one I’ve been making for years and one that my family really loves.

The best approach to any infection, viral or bacterial, is to keep our immune systems strong all year long so we have less of a chance of becoming infected. A great way to do that is to eat more healthy food! Eating real whole food is the best investment for your health!

“LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE, MEDICINE BE THY FOOD” -Hippocrates

Bon appétit!

GINGER SWEET POTATO COCONUT MILK STEW WITH LENTILS & KALE

From: https://thefirstmess.com/2020/02/19/sweet-potato-coconut-milk-stew/

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
½ – 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (I used Diaspora Co’s ground Guntur Sannam Chilli)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs (690 grams or 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup brown lentils, picked over
4 cups vegetable stock
13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
1 small bunch of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped & lightly packed kale)

GARNISH:
chopped cilantro
extra chili flakes
lime wedges
Nigella seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Saute spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.

3. Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.

4. Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.

5. Serve the sweet potato and coconut milk stew hot with chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, and Nigella seeds (if using).

ASIAN-INSPIRED CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

From: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252321/asian-inspired-chicken-soup/

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried shiitake or mixed dried mushrooms

3 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon peanut oil or canola oil

2 cups diced onion 

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 1/8-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger

6 cups chicken broth

¼ cup soy sauce

1 2-to-3-inch cinnamon stick

1 whole star anise

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bulb fennel, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 scallions, whites cut into 2-inch pieces and greens chopped, divided

1 pound bok choy, preferably baby bok choy, white stems sliced lengthwise and greens chopped, divided

2 cups (4 ounces) mung bean sprouts

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Lime wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place mushrooms in a heatproof measuring cup and cover with boiling water. Soak for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. Remove the mushrooms from the water, remove and discard stems (if any) and cut into 1/8-inch slices; set aside. Strain the soaking liquid and reserve.

2. Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid, broth, soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in fennel, scallion whites and the reserved mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add bok choy stems, return to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in bok choy greens and bean sprouts. Cook until the greens are just wilted, about 2 minutes more.

4. Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with scallion greens, cilantro and a 1/4-teaspoon drizzle of sesame oil. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

5. Note: Mung bean sprouts (germinated mung beans), often simply labeled “bean sprouts,” are white with a light yellow tip and are thicker than more common alfalfa sprouts. People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled "gluten-free," as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.

BANANA BREAD (gluten and dairy free)

From: the cookbook Against All Grain by Danielle Walker

INGREDIENTS:

2T coconut oil. melted

4 Eggs, large

3T maple syrup

1tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 large ripe bananas

Optional add-ins: 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries or raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Grease the sides of and bottom of 81/2 by 41/2 inch loaf pan, then place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom.

3. Place 2 T coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla, and vinegar in a bowl beat on high with a mixer or food processor for 30 seconds.

4. Combine the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt, then add them to the wet ingredients, beating on high until combined.

5. Place the coconut milk and bananas in a separate bowl and mash until the mixture resembles baby food.

6. Add the banana mixture to the batter and beat on medium until thoroughly combined.

7. Mix in optional add-ins, if desired.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove loaf and cool completely on a wire rack.

The Use of Herbal Medicine for Fighting Coronaviruses

Yes, there’s a pandemic going on around the world and yet it’s frightening to hear about. I would like to put it into perspective and discuss the research behind using herbal medicine for fighting coronaviruses.

I would like to remind you that the CDC estimates that the influenza virus (aka the flu) has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths every year since 2010 in the US alone. And this is a virus we have a vaccine for!

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can infect many different animal species, including camels, cattle, and bats. A new strain of coronavirus has been identified as the cause of the outbreak of respiratory illness in people first detected in Wuhan, China. On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization named the disease COVID-19. (Formerly, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV.) What makes this virus unique is that rarely do animal coronaviruses jump species and infect people. Past coronaviruses with this similar pattern are the MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV which some of you may remember from the outbreak in 2002-2003. 

There is a lot of media hype about alternative treatments not being effective to treat or prevent the coronavirus, and yet its true the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has not been thoroughly researched regarding herbal therapies. There are however many studies showing the medicinal effects of herbs against other coronaviruses. Let’s talk about those. 

In November 2019, a study published in the journal Virus Research showed that elderberry (Sambucas nigra) extract significantly inhibited the replication of the human coronavirus strain NL63 (HCoV-NL63). Elderberry specifically blocked the coronavirus attachment and therefore was concluded to have strong antiviral potential against this strain of coronavirus. 

In January 2014, another study showed that elderberry (Sambucas nigra) extract can inhibit coronavirus when taken at the early stages of the infection unlike extracts of Rhodiola rosea or Nigella sativa.

In October 2011, a study published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine showed that herbal extracts of scythian lamb (Cibotium barometz), gentian root (Gentiana scabra), chinese or wild yam (Dioscorea batatas), wild senna (Cassia tora), and chinese mistletoe (Taxillus chinensis) inhibited the replication of the virulent severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). 

Lastly, a study published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine in February 2020 indicated that herbal medical treatments classically used for treating viral respiratory infections might contain direct anti-2019-nCoV (aka COVID-19) compounds. Thirteen herbal compounds were found to have antiviral effects specifically against the COVID-19 strain, and 125 herbs were found to contain 2 or more of these 13 compounds. Proving that natural plant compounds may be powerful tools in fighting against these virulent virus strains and more research needs to be done.

It is unfortunate that the media is quick to disregard these plant extracts as potentially effective strategies in helping to bring this pandemic under control. As an alternative medicine practitioner, I wish there were more research studies and articles published to back up the clinical success stories I see daily using naturopathic therapies like herbal medicine. Unfortunately, there is not much funding for these types of research studies.

References

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31560964

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24433341

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24716104

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32113846

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believes that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms. With her scientific background, Dr Fey uses science based natural approaches to treating disease.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center for Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.