I hate to admit this but I could be experiencing perimenopause. If you haven’t heard of the term before, perimenopause means menopause transition which generally begins several years before menopause.

I’ve been feeling easily irritable, having irregular periods and breast tenderness for the past few months. Oh… and weight gain too!

If you’re thinking…”That’s ridiculous. You’re so young.” Well, apparently not, I am 41 this year. I’ve looked it up on Google, perimenopause usually starts in women’s 40s and it can start as early as 30s or even earlier. Yikes!

What it really is, is that our estrogen level drops gradually and eventually the ovaries stop releasing eggs. And menopause happens.

The Dreaded Menopause 

Like death and taxes, menopause is unavoidable. It is a natural biological process. You’ve probably heard of the dreaded symptoms of hot flushes, loss of sleep, chills, dry skin, thinning hair, and lower energy, all as part of a natural aging process. 

Ageing gracefully is more of a challenge for women than men, as menopause inflicts damage to your skin, sleep, weight and physical and emotional well-being. However, there are many effective treatments to help us navigate this period more comfortably.

Max Biocare Belle Dame

One of the treatments for perimenopause and menopause women is Max Biocare’s Belle Dame, or Estosalus, as it is known in other markets. 

Produced by Max Biocare, an independent Australian owned and operated nutraceutical and pharma company, Belle Dame contains a blend of premium, science-backed, botanicals designed to alleviate menopause symptoms, protect the health of the cardiovascular system and skin.

One of the notable botanical extracts in Belle Dame is SoyLife®, a purified source of isoflavones, which are the active ingredients present in soy germ. Soy isoflavones can help in alleviating menopausal symptoms, because they are similar in structure to the female hormone, estrogen. They helps to compensate for the hormonal imbalance in our bodies as our estrogen levels drop significantly. 

SoyLife® Isoflavones can also function as antioxidants, which help to reduce damage due to free radicals from the air, environment and toxins in food. Free radicals formed in the body are involved in many chronic health problems, and free radicals also increased as we age and contribute to the what we see as signs of aging.  

Proven and tested by research

Max Biocare ran a unique randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research trial with 101 women who were experiencing menopause symptoms and found that after 12 weeks of taking Belle Dame, the menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and sweating were significantly improved, as were sleep quality and mood. 

Ref: Efficacy and Safety of Nutraceutical on Menopausal Symptoms in Post-Menopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, PlaceboControlled Clinical Trial; NutraIngredients Asia Report

Other benefits of Belle Dame include maintaining a healthy hormonal balance in cycling women, reducing menstrual cycle irregularity/ irregular periods, relieving vaginal dryness and protecting against cholesterol. 

Beauty from within

A further benefit of Belle Dame is that it helps to improve our skin health by maintaining its integrity and structure. This is important because when women are going through menopause, we often experience skin dryness and aging signs caused by hormonal changes. Estrogen actually controls the regeneration of the skin, so when bodies don’t make it, they aren’t making as much collagen and new skin tissue. Therefore our skin will sag, especially around the neck, jawline, and cheeks. Fine lines, wrinkles and would be more prominent too.

I’ve been taking Biocare Max Belle Dame for a few weeks now, and while I haven’t seen obvious changes, maybe because I don’t have massive menopause symptoms yet, I like to think that I’m taking a head start towards my feminine health.

For vegetarians, you’d be glad to know that Belle Dame are Vegicaps® capsules – suitable for vegetarian consumption.

As with any supplement, also read the label, and check that it is right for you before using.

For more information, check out Belle Dame’s latest research publication here. 

Belle Dame is now available on various platforms, to purchase, head over here for more info. 

In conjunction with Singapore’s National Day, Belle Dame is having an online promotion from now till 31st August 2021. Shop here now! 

My book is out. Get your copy here!