Does Menopause Really Increase Intelligence?

There has been much speculation about why human women are one of only a few mammals that go through menopause. Rhesus monkeys and certain cetaceans, whales, dolphins and porpoises, are only a few of the mammals that go through menopause following their reproductive years. In humans, some believe that menopause is the beginning of another stage of life, sometimes called the grandmother hypothesis.

There is an old saying that with age comes wisdom. Many believe the female of the human species were selected for menopause as they reach a certain age, as they have acquired the wisdom and intelligence to care for the children that were bred. Although, asking women in the stages of premenopause if they feel any smarter their answer may come as a surprise. However outlandish the theory may sound, in its own way it makes sense.

As children women have no reproductive capabilities and until they go through the "raging hormone" stage of puberty, are unable to reproduce. This is the time of their life when their body is secreting hormones.

The hormones involved in making them conducive to bearing children include:

• Estrogen
• Progestin
• Testosterone

When these hormones begin to appear, their reproductive system begins to function. Typically, this stage begins between 11 and 13 years of age. Between the ages of 45 and 55 menopause begins to end the reproductive stage of their life and the entire process is reversed.

While many believe that menopause is the time in a woman's life when they cease experiencing monthly menstrual cycles, medically speaking it is the time when the ovaries cease functioning. Technically, menopause is the day the ovaries shut down and the time leading up to that is called pre-menopause.

Post-menopausal women are typically in the last stages of child rearing where advice and guidance are needed for their children. Some children however, may not be amenable to taking advice from a woman who just went through their change of life, and may take sometime to reestablish a relationship. However, as the younger brood begins to bear children of their own the grandmother's presence is welcomed. Many parents have been heard to say they cannot wait until their children get older so they can be smart again, adding to the argument that after menopause, mothers do get smarter.

While many drugs have been developed to help women through the symptoms of menopause including hormone replacement therapy, there are many women who weigh the benefits of the drugs against the potential risk of side effects and opt to seek alternative and more natural ways of dealing with the phenomenon that is menopause.

Bioidentical drugs that have been developed for hormone replacement therapies have shown the most promise as they appear to the body to be the real thing. By being recognized a body-friendly, these drugs do not spark a reaction by the immune system and create harsh side effects or create other health problems. As research continues on development of these products, most women continue to deal with natural products, promising relief from the mane effects of menopause.