If you gained weight in your belly after menopause, you are not alone. Prior to menopause, female body fat is stored in the hips, buttocks, and thighs. That fat is designed to provide additional stores during the reproductive years for breastfeeding. Once estrogen levels plummet at menopause, that fat is redistributed to the belly.
For many women, there is no weight gain per se, just a much more prominent abdomen. The condition has received the unwelcome nickname of “menopause belly.”
While diet and exercise can help reduce this belly fat, bioidentical estrogen replacement therapy can eliminate it by replenishing your body with hormones identical to your natural hormones.
Less estrogen provokes a double whammy when it comes to belly fat. Besides the fat redistribution, low estrogen levels slow down metabolism and may induce fatigue.
Along with other common side effects of menopause, such as insomnia or depression, you simply may not feel like exercising or pursuing more active endeavors on the level you once did. That results in weight gain overall, not just the belly.
Lack of estrogen causes less effective use of blood sugar and starches. These changes can add to hormonal belly fat woes. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help reverse these metabolic changes.
These hormones, derived primarily from soy and wild yam sources, possess the same molecular structure as the hormones once produced by your body. That is not the case with conventional hormone replacement therapy, which consists of conjugated equine estrogens made from pregnant mare’s urine.
There are reasons other than aesthetics and self-esteem to get rid of belly fat. Such fat increases a woman’s risk of experiencing cardiovascular issues, along with diabetes and high cholesterol. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy not only helps get rid of belly fat, but can reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Women receiving bioidentical estrogens benefit from alleviation of various menopausal side effects, including depression and insomnia. Feeling like yourself once more enables you to pursue a healthy diet and exercise regimen with a vigor you may not possess without natural hormone replacement therapy.
Patients receiving bioidentical hormone replacement therapy are carefully monitored via regular urine, blood, and saliva testing. Each patient receives a holistic, custom-tailored treatment plan.
If you would like to know more about how estrogen and belly fat are related, call Dr. Edward Jacobson today and arrange a consultation. Start enjoying the benefits of hormone replacement therapy as soon as possible.