Could tea and broccoli help ease menopause?
Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Claire McGlasson
Two capsules a day of a whole food supplement containing fruit, spice, vegetables and the UK’s favourite drink could bring relief to women suffering from the menopause.
That's the finding of a new study that identifies that pomegranate, turmeric, tea and broccoli could ease common symptoms of menopause including hot flushes, arthritis and low moods.
The work was spearheaded by Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, Bedford Hospital, University of London statisticians and volunteers from a cancer support group in Japan.
Scientists already know women who regularly eat more polyphenol-rich foods tend to have better moods and less arthritis, although the impact on hot flushes is less clear.
Polyphenols are natural chemicals which give food its colour, taste and smell, with high-levels found in herbs and spice, fruit, vegetables, teas and nuts.
The study team suspected a whole food nutritional supplement would be a convenient way to boost intake throughout the day, but there was little in the way of academic work to prove the point.
In response they identified for their pilot study a whole food supplement previously tested on men with prostate cancer. It is safe and appears to help with joint discomfort.
The combination of concentrated pomegranate, turmeric, tea and broccoli is free of phytoestrogenic polyphenols, which can impact on hormones.
Women from the Japanese Women’s Cancer Support Group volunteered to take thesupplement in capsule form and after two months 30 out of 38 (79 per cent) madepositive comments, with significant improvements in mood, hot flushes and stiffness.