Amberen vs Hot Flash Freedom

Continued from above...

Let's start by understanding what menopause is - and what it's not. Clinically speaking, menopause is usually defined as beginning when a woman has gone a minimum of 12 months with no menstrual cycles. Although it's often been looked at as a negative part of aging and something that needs to be "fixed" , many women feel relieved by this natural end of one stage of life and moving on to the next.

For most, there's a transition period leading up to menopause known as perimenopause, and it can last anywhere from a few months to a decade - or longer. That's when the symptoms we associate with menopause tend to begin: irregular periods, mood and energy changes, surprising weight gain (despite one's best efforts to eat well and be active), along with the most recognizable ones: hot flashes and night sweats. There's a reason why cartoons show middle-aged women standing in front of supermarket freezer sections with the doors thrown wide open.

What can be done to make this phase easier for women? Hormone therapy is touted by some and vilified by others, and there's no definitive answer yet (again, thanks to that lack of research we mentioned earlier). Some women get relief through hormone therapy that makes the decline of estrogen and progesterone less steep, while others experience significant side effects like dark moods or undesirable changes in body composition.

If hormone therapy isn't for you, for whatever reason, it's time to take a look at some of the alternatives. From herbal remedies to vitamin and mineral supplements or even topical creams, there's no shortage of products promising to stop hot flashes in their tracks, unswing your moods, or have you sleeping peacefully for the first time in ages. How can you tell which ones are the real deal and which ones are making empty promises?

As you look at your options for menopause relief, here are some criteria you can keep in mind to guide your decision:

• Type of Supplement. Most products are delivered in capsule format. Not a fan of swallowing pills? You've got options that come as a lotion, tincture, or mixable powder too.
• Type of Ingredients. Many of today's menopause remedies use herbal ingredients like black cohosh and dong quai. Others focus on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and more familiar components in combinations that target menopause symptoms. For people with allergies or sensitivities, some products may be off-limits, so read ingredient lists carefully.
• Effectiveness. What have other women said about their experience with the menopause product? How long did it take for them to see improvements?
• Value. How much will you spend to get the relief you want?
• Satisfaction Guarantee. Some menopause products let you request a refund if it doesn't help your symptoms. The best brands make it possible to try the product for a long time - 60 days, a year, or for as long as you wish - before drawing any conclusions.

TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular menopause relief products on the market today. We're confident that this information will help you choose the right remedy to get your hot flashes, night sweats, and sleeplessness under control.