让身体重拾“自愈”能力.docVIP

让身体重拾“自愈”能力 　　After six years on a 2)prescription 3)estrogen 4)patch that 5)alleviated her hot flashes, but did nothing to address her midlife 25-pound weight gain, Martha B. started searching to treat her 6)menopausal symptoms. She turned to the 7)hormone therapies and started to take pills that have been seen to have estrogen-like effects in humans. 　　Without changing her eating habits, Martha said she lost 20 pounds. But after four months off the patch, the hot flashes came back. Other than the hot flashes, she started to experience the increasing 8)allergies, dizziness and the occasional loss of balance. Now, she was wondering, “What do I do next?” 　　According to experts, about 70 percent of women experience hot flashes, weight gain and other symptoms as they 9)transition from their fertile to postfertile years and their hormone levels fluctuate sharply. It’s a process that lasts an average of seven years. 　　These women are seeking treatment for menopausal symptoms. They turn to the modern devices like medicine and hormone therapies for help. But some bigger issues emerged. In 2002, when the initial findings of a National Institutes of Health study―known as the Women’s Health Initiative project―suggested that women on conventional hormone therapy were at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and 10)blood clotting, the market for alternative treatments soared. There are now more than 500 products that 11)purport to relieve symptoms associated with menopause. “It seems like that if you were a certain age, your doctor would hand you a prescription for hormone pills and that would be that,” said Karen Giblin, the director of Red Hot Mamas, an organization that offers educational programs and information on menopause. “Women were 12)popping them like MM’s.” she added. 　　Meanwhile, more and more women bothered by symptoms are searching for a natural alternative, including natural supplements and regular exercise program. They may try, for example, a sup