Using hormone therapy to counteract menopause symptoms puts womens' health at risk, new research suggests.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer is well established, but a new study looking at the timing of taking the drug soon after menopause found the risks far outweigh the potential benefits.

THE DETAILS: The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, examined data from The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study and evaluated the risks and benefits of HRT in women who started the therapy less than five years after menopause. After WHI initially linked hormone use to a higher risk of breast cancer and coronary heart disease several years ago, some research has suggested HRT would be more beneficial if taken soon after menopause. But this study found that women who started taking HRT soon after going through menopause faced an even higher risk of invasive breast cancer than those who start the therapy later. Researchers also found that starting HRT did not greatly aid in the prevention of heart disease and, as previous studies found, it increases the risk of strokes. Among women who took only estrogen, the benefits and risks were about equally balanced, but for women who took both estrogen and progestin, the potential harm outweighed the benefits.

WHAT IT MEANS: Women considering hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms have one more reason to try other methods first.

Here’s how to water down hot flashes with safe, natural remedies:

• Use a common kitchen herb. To combat menopause-related night sweats, place 4 heaping tablespoons dried sage in 1 cup hot water, cover it tightly, and steep for 4 hours. When you need it, strain, reheat, and drink up. You may also want to switch to organic cotton sheets if you’re experiencing night sweats—the moisture will wick away faster.

• Eat the right foods. Phytoestrogens can help tame hot flashes. They are commonly found in soy products. The problem with soy is, about 80 percent of soy crops are grown from genetically modified seeds, and some research has linked GM crops to allergies and other health ailments. The GM versions haven’t been around all that long, so it’s still not clear if they are safe. The good news is, you can find phytoestrogens in other foods, particularly chickpeas, lentils, and almost any kind of bean. Try to incorporate these foods into your daily diet.

• Break a subtle sweat. Exercise helps keep stress levels down, which will alleviate some symptoms. The problem is, if you’re dealing with hot flashes, the last thing you want to think about is a sweaty exercise session. Try swimming, yoga, or Pilates as low-sweat forms of exercise.