Glad to hear you say that about vitamins about supplements Dancinggirl, a lot of us have always known that, I am convinced that because my
mum was into "alternative health" before it became "complementary health" and encouraged us to take vitamins along with a healthy lifestyle, that my menopause was an easier passage along with my sister's, maybe by keeping the bodies natural estrogen higher and the blood vessels more elastic.
The heat and humidity we have experienced this summer has affected body temperature of everyone, young and old, but it cam be worse for women in menopause and beyond.
Here is some info about the hypothalamus in menopauses
" What Causes Hot Flashes?
The Hot Flash is still not fully understood; researchers have only recently determined that measured hormonal changes take place during a flash. Diminished estrogen levels are somehow responsible but exactly in what way remains a bit unclear. Withdrawal of estrogen causes an increase in the levels of the hormones FSH and LH. The brain center that secretes these hormones, the hypothalamus, directs many body functions, including body temperature, sleep patterns, metabolic rate, mood, and reaction to stress. The higher the levels of FSH and LH, the more the blood vessels dilate, or enlarge, this increases blood flow to the skin, which in turn raises its temperature.
Other hormones and body chemical levels also seem to fluctuate in response to altered estrogen levels, and may participate in triggering a hot flash. Two neurotransmitters, epinephrine and norepinephrine, interact with the hypothalamus, thus helping to control dilation and contraction of blood vessels. The beta-endorphins which are the brain's natural mood controller, drop in response to lowered estrogen and progesterone levels, and may also be involved. Hormones do not operate in a vacuum, and a rise or fall in any one creates a cascading interplay that can affect any number of bodily functions.
