Women's health\ Ingrédients - N°66 times often recurring (at least three UTIs supplements: soy, eed clover (Tri- during a 12-month period). Esche- folium pratense), hop, flaxseed, richia coli is the bacterium most kudzu (Pueraria mirifica), Sophora frequently responsible for urinary japonica (Balanites aegyptiaca). tract infections. A high number of women do not succeed in getting Osteoporosis: thinking rid of UTIs despite multiple treat- outside the box ments with antibiotics, which actually promote pathogen resis- One of the consequences of the tance and affect the intestinal flora. drop in oestrogen levels during Recurrent urinary tract infections menopause is the increased risk of worsen in time. Finding alternative osteoporosis. This latter is charac- antimicrobial strategies is there- terized by insuffi cient bone mass fore essential. and microarchitectural deterioration These strategies can rely on cran- of bone tissue, with a consequent berry, probiotics (see this issue), increase in bone fragility and sus- D-mannose, vitamin D, which ceptibility to fracture. Women lose increasingly support their evidence about 50% of their trabecular bone of effectiveness. and 30% of their cortical bone during the course of their lifetime, Menopause: multiple about half of which is lost during 079 routes of action the fi rst 10 years after the meno- pause. Calcium (1200 mg/day) and Reduced oestrogen levels after vitamin D (20-25 g/day) are the menopause may lead to unplea- treatments of choice. Together, they sant symptoms such as hot flushes, can reduce the total risk of fracture night sweats, irritability, sleep by 15% and the risk of hip fracture disorders and vaginal dryness in by 30% in subjects over 65 years of over 50% of menopausal women. age. Moreover, a calcium/magne- These symptoms may be managed sium ratio of 2.8 is considered to effectively via hormone therapy. be optimal for bone health. Beyond Nevertheless, not all the women these vitamins and minerals, other are eligible for this therapy and ingredients are likely to help curb some of them (40 to 50%) prefer this age-related pathology. alternative solutions due to the These are vitamin K (carrying a secondary effects associated with health claim “Vitamin K helps hormone therapy (breast cancer, maintain a normal bone structure”), increased cardiovascular risk). isoflavones and probiotics, red These solutions are built on two berries extracts, lycopene, resve- classes of ingredients: those with ratrol. It should be noted that these serotonin-boosting potential and last three families of active ingre- those with estrogenic activity. dients are anti-oxidants: an inverse Among the ingredients with seroto- correlation between biomarkers of nergic potential to be closely moni- oxidative stress and bone mineral tored are black cohosh (Cimicifuga density has been demonstrated, Actaea Racemosa) and valerian, and in patients with fractures, the As for the ingredients with parameters of oxidative stress are estrogenic activity, they are already higher than those found in the wit- widely known in the world of food nesses.■ News on Functional & Health Ingredients \ N°66 \ January - February - March 2019 \ ■