Anyone that has gone through, or is going through, menopause will understand the importance of estrogen. Estrogen is responsible for a woman's overall well being, directly affecting her cholesterol levels, bone density and mood. Around the age of 35 a woman's production of estrogen may begin to slow, facilitating the change to menopause.

The depletion of estrogen levels has a direct effect on a woman's mental and physical health and has been linked to serious long-term health issues such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies suggest that these common issues associated with menopause occur more frequently in Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe than in Asia, Central America and Mediterranean countries.

But why would the body deprive women of something so crucial to their health? The regional discrepancy of health issues linked to menopause suggests that the answer lies in the diet. The Western diet has shifted towards a more meat and dairy focused diet as opposed to the legume-based diet our ancestors and women in Asia, Central American and Mediterranean countries enjoy. Legumes are rich in isoflavones from the group phytoestrogen (plant estrogen), which are able to closely mimic the effects of estrogen that women naturally produce.

The Asian, Central American and Mediterranean diets consist of 30-50mg of isoflavones every day while the Western Diet contains only a few milligrams. You can see the connection when you compare women's consumption of isoflavones vs. the frequency of hot flashes in women from various countries. Japanese women experience significantly less hot flashes than their European counterpart. Women from countries with diets rich in isoflavones, such as Asia, experience fewer hot flashes during menopause and have lower levels of osteoporosis.

All legumes are not created equally when it comes to isoflavones. There are more than 1,000 types of isoflavones in plants, however only four have been shown to possess significant individual and specific biological activity: genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin A. Not every legume carries all four isoflavones beneficial to women. Soy only contains two: daidzein and genistein. Red clover contains all four isoflavones as well as ten to twenty times the quantity of isoflavones found in soy, which is the next richest source.

Red clovers are much more than a pretty face; they have been used in medicine for years treating everything from skin eczema to cancer. It is one of the few plants that contain all four isoflavones so it is able to regulate the rapidly fluctuating hormones of menopause. High estrogen levels are suppressed and when levels are low the isoflavones mimic the estrogen your body naturally produces. Red clover is also a diuretic, helping the body rid itself of excess fluids, which is beneficial for women that experience water weight gain during menopause.

Those looking for a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy have embraced supplements that are based on the isoflavone rich diet. Promensil provides the same amount of isoflavones as the typical legume-based vegetarian diet; eight times more than the average North American diet, all in one tablet. Based around the red clover to provide all four necessary isoflavones, Promensil users experienced slowed bone loss, less frequent hot flashes and night sweats and a general decrease in menopausal symptoms.

Women now have the option of a natural alternative when treating menopausal symptoms. Promensil's extensive testing has demonstrated that a natural remedy can be effective, without the side effects associated with estrogen supplements. Because menopause treatment is all about making women feel like women, naturally.