Hot flashes can feel like a never-ending story – but there’s hope, as functional medicine from Toronto could promote relief. 

Hot flashes happen unexpectedly, with abrupt heat radiating through the face, chest, and ultimately the whole body. They can occur occasionally (i.e. once a week) or frequently (i.e. every few hours). They may also express themselves as night sweats, which means they can instigate unwanted sleep issues, too!

These bodily heat waves are not caused by environmental factors, such as sunny weather. Some disease conditions trigger body temperature changes, but hot flashes are one of the menopausal symptoms experienced by women. Although these sensations are uncomfortable, only a few choose to seek help in alleviating them. 

So, how can integrative functional medicine wisdom aid with lessening these discomforts? Our Toronto clinic explains below. 

Uncovering functional medicine therapies for hot flashes

Scientists postulate that hot flashes happen when the ovaries start to become less effective, and estrogen and progesterone levels drop in the body. This can lead to temperature sensitivities and other menopausal symptoms. 

Medical journals insinuate that hot flashes arise when low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to become sensitive to body temperature changes. When the hypothalamus senses that the body is excessively warm, a chain of events triggers a cooldown – and hot flashes are part of this cooling process. 

When you apply the functional medicine approach to hot flashes, the treatment-seeking patient is not compared to or grouped with another person’s diagnoses. Rather, the patient’s individual symptoms are emphasized and the “whole body” is considered. Medical history, environmental and lifestyle factors, health goals, and lab results are scrutinized to create a comprehensive treatment plan. Below, we highlight some examples of integrative medicine therapies for reducing hot flashes:

• Lifestyle modifications: Refrain from smoking, as this could lower the severity of a flash. Also, try practising weight management with regular exercise. This is because obesity can increase the harshness of hot flashes. Acupuncture, mindfulness and meditation are also advisable for reducing anxiety that comes with hot flashes. 
• Dietary interventions: Drop your caffeine and spicy food intake and try adopting the Mediterranean diet. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, menopausal women either on the Mediterranean diet or eating a diet rich in phytoestrogens (i.e. soybeans, flaxseeds, whole grains, and legumes) were not prone to night sweats and hot flashes by 20%. 
• Supplements: You may be advised to take phytonutrient-rich supplements. Some hormone-free, plant-derived nutrients have shown to help reduce hot flashes. These include rhapontic rhubarb roots, and studies have shown no adverse side effects to consuming them.
• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy: In our post “An Introduction to Bio-identical Hormones”, we discussed that If your hormonal balance is dodgy, bio-identical hormones may be prescribed. These are plant-derived products that are chemically comparable to hormones in a human being. Estrogen and progesterone hormones may be simulated from these plant-derived ingredients. Take note: Bioidentical hormones need to be specially compounded for individual dosing. 

The above treatments above may or may not be suitable for your own needs, as this article is intended for educational purposes only. We advise seeking help from a health care provider to rule out underlying conditions. Hot flashes are often part of the menopausal process. But with functional medicine, you could reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms. 

Why opt for customized hormone optimization programs?

A customized, proactive, long-term health plan can make a difference in your wellness journey, which is something we can create at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC). Every person has a unique expression of health, and sometimes this isn’t recognized by conventional medicine – which is why the TFMC creates personalized integrative medicine services. 

Functional medicine therapies are based on your exclusive biology, which means treatments are tailored for your unique condition. In particular, we get details about your biology from lab tests that may not be available from conventional medicine – the DUTCH test is an example. This lab test includes submitting dried urine samples to quantify a snapshot of sex hormones and metabolites. From these results, our healthcare providers can customize your treatment plans, and you may even join a hormone optimization program! At the TFMC, this program can educate and motivate you to keep symptoms under control with adapted modalities. 

If you want to book a session with a TFMC functional medicine practitioner, you’re welcome to do so! Let’s help minimize your hot flashes with personalized treatment plans.  

About our integrated health services

At the TFMC, our goal is to help you reach optimal health through various therapies and chronic disease prevention. Our approaches to healing view you as a distinctive entity, and we understand that everyone has different challenges in their daily lives. So, we want to ensure that your clinical experience is comfortable and within your capabilities. 

A wide range of functional and integrative medicine services are accessible from us. We inspire you to grab hold of your wellness through integrated health care – in fact, we want to collaborate with you in designing your treatment plans! 

We have a wide variety of modalities available, including Western medicine (allopathic), herbal medicine, Chinese Medicine, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, bio-identical hormones (bio-identical thyroid hormone therapy), and intravenous therapy from our IV Lounge. The functional medicine model is applied to all of our treatments, including custom nutritional fluids for IV drips. When combined with a healthy lifestyle, IV therapy drips could contribute to wellness improvements. 

Visit a Toronto functional medicine practitioner today for hormonal balance concerns. Contact us for your initial consultation. Let’s help tackle the root behind your health issue and revitalize low energy levels! 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

 

References

Bansal R, Aggarwal N. Menopausal Hot Flashes: A Concise Review. J Midlife Health. 2019 Jan-Mar;10(1):6-13. doi: 10.4103/jmh.JMH_7_19. PMID: 31001050; PMCID: PMC6459071.

Vollmer G, Papke A, Zierau O. Treatment of menopausal symptoms by an extract from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb: the role of estrogen receptors. Chin Med. 2010 Feb 19;5:7. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-5-7. PMID: 20170496; PMCID: PMC2837008.

Herber-Gast GC, Mishra GD. Fruit, Mediterranean-style, and high-fat and -sugar diets are associated with the risk of night sweats and hot flushes in midlife: results from a prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 May;97(5):1092-9. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.049965. Epub 2013 Apr 3. PMID: 23553160.

“Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?” from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (NIH), viewed on June 28, 2023. 

Kazemzadeh R, Nikjou R, Rostamnegad M, Norouzi H. Effect of lavender aromatherapy on menopause hot flushing: A crossover randomized clinical trial. J Chin Med Assoc. 2016 Sep;79(9):489-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jcma.2016.01.020. Epub 2016 Jul 4. PMID: 27388435.

Liudvytska O, Ponczek MB, Ciesielski O, Krzyżanowska-Kowalczyk J, Kowalczyk M, Balcerczyk A, Kolodziejczyk-Czepas J. Rheum rhaponticum and Rheum rhabarbarum Extracts as Modulators of Endothelial Cell Inflammatory Response. Nutrients. 2023 Feb 14;15(4):949. doi: 10.3390/nu15040949. PMID: 36839307; PMCID: PMC9964395.

Vollmer G, Papke A, Zierau O. Treatment of menopausal symptoms by an extract from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb: the role of estrogen receptors. Chin Med. 2010 Feb 19;5:7. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-5-7. PMID: 20170496; PMCID: PMC2837008.

Wilson M, Konda V, Heidt K, Rathinasabapathy T, Desai A, Komarnytsky S. Rheum rhaponticum Root Extract Improves Vasomotor Menopausal Symptoms and Estrogen-Regulated Targets in Ovariectomized Rat Model. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 21;22(3):1032. doi: 10.3390/ijms22031032. PMID: 33494167; PMCID: PMC7864327.