I decided to do something for myself. I decided to devise a cake which I could have all the nutrients in that I needed and required, and it seems to have worked for me. The cake also worked for Linda's friends. And it was soon a big talking point for the people of Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire. The final product In the UK, two million women take HRT, approximately one in five of those going through the menopause.
Symptoms range from anxiety and depression to blood clots and even strokes.
During the menopause, women's oestrogen levels drop. HRT replaces that oestrogen, thereby delaying the natural ageing process. An HRT cake might sound unlikely, but ingredients such as seeds and soya are rich in phytoestrogens - natural plant chemicals which mimic female hormones. The commercial world is prepared to take a chance on it. As contracts with national supermarket chains are finalised, John Foster's bakery in Mapplewell, South Yorkshire, has been tweaking the recipe and trying out different versions of the cake.