I-Cool Vs. Arbonne Women's Balance For Menopause Hot Flashes - Review of Two Different Approaches to Hot Flash Treatment

Women going through menopause are at highest risk for experiencing hot flashes but an unhealthy lifestyle and medications can cause them in younger woman. Hot flashes occur when estrogen levels begin to diminish. Lack of estrogen confuses the brain, causing it to read the body as being overheated. It responds by triggering processes throughout the body to get rid of the excess heat, causing the body to cool itself down when it is not necessary, which leads very uncomfortable hot flashes.

Unfortunately, the medical community has not properly educated woman about estrogen and it's impact on the body. For years Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRP) was prescribed for menopausal woman experiencing hot flashes and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Today woman are being told to avoid estrogen from HRT and other sources such as food because it is linked to breast cancer and other life threatening health conditions.

What many woman do not realize because doctors have not educated them properly is that there are different types of estrogen. The type of estrogen in HRT is synthetic or from horse urine and is processed in a laboratory. It is unidentifiable by the human body and lacks the enzymes necessary to properly bind to estrogen receptors. Not only is it inefficient but it is hard to get rid of because proteins that bind to excess human estrogen and escort it from the body are ineffective against these unidentifiable estrogens. This leads to overstimulation of the endocrine tissues which may lead to numerous life threatening health conditions.

Concerns over the many health threatening side effects associated with estrogen Hormone Replacement Therapy has led to the popularity of phytoestrogens (plant estrogens that act like human estrogen). Today, we are bombarded with unhealthy xenoestrogens found in a long list of products we use and our environment. The list includes petrochemical derived products, plastics, styrofoam, tap water in major cities, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides and herbicides. Phytoestrogens compete with unhealthy estrogens to bind to estrogen receptor sites and thereby bring a balance of healthy estrogen in the body. However, it is important to be aware that proper estrogen balance is only obtained when there is an appropriate amount of progesterone present. Phytoestrogens are found in over 300 foods.There are 3 classes of phytoestrogens: isoflavonoids, lignans and coumestans.

I-Health, a division of DSM Nutritional Products manufactures a product for female menopause hot flashes called I-Cool. The key ingredient is a synthetic chemical called geniVida which is identical in structure to genistein. Genistein is a soy isoflavone, a type of isoflavanoid which is known to be a powerful phytoestrogen. The big question is how well does it work and is it safe to use and safe to buy. Genistein contains enzymes that aid in binding to estrogen receptors. The synthetic form lacks these enzymes and may not bind nearly as well.

Synthetic genistein is the only active ingredient which may limit the products effectiveness. There is no active ingredient contained in i-cool which helps bring balance between estrogen and progesterone, which is important when supplementing estrogen. I-cool has not been found to have any known side effects. The company does not offer a money back guarantee. Many woman who have used the product have testified that the product has been effective at alleviating their hot flashes. An increase of the products effectiveness was experienced after four to five weeks of continual use.

Arbonne International chose a more natural approach with their product Woman's Balance Menopausal Support. There are several key ingredients: chaste tree, dong quai, evening primrose oil, red clover and black cohosh extracts. Chaste tree is known as an adaptogen which means that it brings balance between hormones. It is known to increase the production of progesterone and constrains excess estrogen. Proper balance between these hormones is essential for alleviating many symptoms of menopause. Dong quai plays a similar role in bringing balance between progesterone and estrogen. It also is effective at encouraging emotional health.

Evening primrose oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids. Most menopausal woman are deficient in these essential fatty acids. Evening primrose oil contains gamma linolenic acid which helps cut down on swelling and inflammation and control pain. Red clover acts as phytoestrogen in raising estrogen levels and alleviating hot flashes. The key components in red clover are genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin A. Vrije University Medical Center in Amsterdam conducted a study for over 12 months and found that red clover isoflavones significantly reduced hot flashes in menopausal women.

New research has found that Black cohosh cannot really be considered a phytoestrogen because it does not bind to estrogen receptors. Rather it mimics the activities of estrogen in the body. It is useful for many woman attempting to relieve hot flashes because it causes estrogen that is already present in the body to be more effectively utilized. Arbonne's motto is pure, safe and beneficial and states that nothing comes to market until it is proven safe through multiple trials. Women's balance comes with a 45 day money back guarantee. Many woman have testified that Women's Balance is effective at alleviating their hot flashes. The product is most effective at alleviating hot flashes after several weeks of continual use.

Looking at the science behind these approaches to menopausal hot flash treatment as well as the companies that manufacture these products, Arbonne's Woman's balance appears to be the more effective product for safely and effectively dealing with hot flashes.