With the emergence of several menopause supplements promising to ease perimenopause and postmenopause symptoms, it’s a good idea to do some research before assuming what the packaging says is true. While some supplements for menopause have proven resoundingly beneficial, others are unproven, yet still popular.
In this article, we outline the best supplements for menopause support and their benefits, as well as how you can reap the benefits of these supplements through food.
Why are Supplements Recommended for Menopause Support?
As women transition out of the reproductive stage of life and into menopause, the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone gradually decline. This transition, known as perimenopause, is triggered by an innate understanding that pregnancy will no longer occur and reproductive support is no longer required.
Menstruation often becomes irregular as a result of the fluctuating hormones. However, as hormone production declines, the reproductive system is not the only body part impacted by the changes.
Estrogen also supports the brain, heart, bones, muscles, and skin, while progesterone aids in managing moods, energy levels, and sleep. This is why common perimenopause and postmenopause effects can also include; brain fog, heart disease, decreased bone strength and muscle tone, dry skin, mood swings, interrupted sleep, and fatigue.
Several vitamins and nutrients are recommended to provide support during this time and ease the associated symptoms. However, if these nutrients and vitamins are not consumed through a balanced diet, supplements are another way of ingesting them.
It’s also important to remember that perimenopause and menopause are natural phases of life and the symptoms, although uncomfortable, are temporary. There is no one-pill fix to ease all the symptoms of menopause, but regular exercise and some supplements will certainly help.
What About Hormone Therapy for Menopause Support?
Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) is considered a safe and effective way of treating perimenopause symptoms and supporting the body through hormone decline. However, women with certain health conditions or medical histories may not be suitable candidates for MHT.
When considering MHT, it’s important to consult with a menopause expert to determine the right type, dose, and combination for you and your symptoms.
Whether you take MHT or not, the following supplements are helpful to support the body through the changes linked to menopause and women’s long-term health thereafter.
Best Supplements for Menopause Support
As stated above, the best supplements for perimenopause and menopause are nutrients that support the brain, heart, bones, and muscles to ease the symptoms of hormone changes and promote long-term health.
Although these nutrients can be consumed through a balanced diet, it is understood that some individuals find it challenging to obtain what their body requires through food. This is where the following supplements are helpful for menopause.
1. Calcium For Bone Strength
Due to the loss of bone density triggered by declining estrogen levels, perimenopausal women are advised to consume adequate calcium to improve bone strength, prevent fractures, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis postmenopause.
Calcium can be consumed through dairy products, leafy greens, pistachio nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds. According to the North American Menopause Society, women transitioning through perimenopause require a minimum of 1,000 mg per day and a maximum of 1,200 mg.
2. Vitamin D For Calcium Absorption
Also vital for bone health is Vitamin D. Even when enough calcium is consumed, it cannot be absorbed by the gut and used in the body without adequate levels of vitamin D. Studies have shown that vitamin D may also have a positive impact on mood regulation and brain function.
The best methods of obtaining vitamin D are through the skin from sun exposure, consuming it through food, or a vitamin D supplement. Foods rich in vitamin D include egg yolks, fortified dairy products, and fatty fish.
A daily vitamin D supplement is often vital for people living in countries where sunshine is not abundant for daily vitamin D boosts. Due to the impact that lowered estrogen levels have on bone strength, vitamin D supplements are especially significant for perimenopausal women and are recommended all year round.
For essential calcium absorption, the North American Menopause Society recommends a daily intake of 400-600 IU of vitamin D.
3. Magnesium For Improved Sleep
It’s common to suffer from disrupted sleep during perimenopause, often caused by night sweats, increased anxiety, or the need to empty the bladder. Fractured sleep, or a lack of restful sleep, can result in fatigue, low moods, and poor cognitive function the following day, making it more difficult to focus on work projects, chores, and necessary obligations.
Magnesium is beneficial in this respect due to its link to the parasympathetic nervous system and its regulation of melatonin. A healthy parasympathetic nervous system promotes relaxation and calmness, while melatonin helps to regulate the circadian rhythm (sleep cycle).
The standard dose of magnesium required for perimenopausal women is 200-400 mg daily with a serving of magnesium-rich food providing about one-fifth of that. Magnesium-rich foods include; avocados, bananas, black beans, nuts, leafy greens, lentils, tofu, brown rice, chia seeds, soy nuts, and yogurt.
4. Iron For Energy and Brain Function
Due to the loss of blood through menstruation, many women can become iron deficient, which leads to fatigue, cold extremities, less cognitive function, and lowered immunity. For this reason, most women are advised to take an iron supplement throughout their reproductive years.
During perimenopause, low estrogen and progesterone levels can result in night sweats and sleep disruptions that further contribute to fatigue and brain function if iron intake is insufficient.
Studies have shown that before and throughout perimenopause 18 mg of iron is required daily to manage energy levels, prevent fatigue, and maintain cognitive function. Once women reach menopause and cease menstruating, daily iron requirements drop to 8 mg.
Iron-rich foods include; red meat, poultry, eggs, salmon, tuna, leafy greens, dried fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, strawberries, watermelon, wholegrains, and dark chocolate.
5. Zinc For the Brain and Immune System
Zinc is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve menstrual discomfort during perimenopause. It also helps regulate hormones, support brain function, maintain heart health, and sustain a robust immune system amid hormone changes.
Zinc’s ability to help in the regulation of estrogen and testosterone may also aid in easing hot flashes and improving libido but more research is needed on these benefits.
Health experts recommend an intake of 8 mg daily for perimenopausal women which can be ingested via food or supplements. Zinc-rich foods include; almonds, cashews, dairy, legumes, red meat, oysters, shellfish, and walnuts.
6. Vitamin C For Hormone Balance and Boosted Immunity
As well as a hormone, estrogen can have antioxidant effects. So when the production of estrogen declines in perimenopause, oxidative stress can increase and magnify the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and hot flashes.
As an antioxidant, vitamin C can help support progesterone production, and is needed for collagen synthesis and tissue repair. It is also known to help maintain bone health, preserve blood vessel integrity and aids in metabolism of folic acid and iron.
However, research suggests that vitamin C levels gradually decline during the menopause transition, when many women need it most.
The daily requirement is 2,000 mg, which can easily be consumed through foods abundant in vitamin C. These include; citrus fruits, bell peppers, kiwi, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.
If you think you’re not consuming enough vitamin C through food, it’s important to boost your intake with a daily supplement.
7. Probiotics For Gut Health and Metabolism
The gut microbiome is a delicately balanced environment consisting of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Collectively, this balanced plethora of pathogens creates the perfect environment for the gut to digest, process, and absorb every nutrient and vitamin ingested.
Within the gut microbiome, is the estrobolome, where estrogen is metabolised. There is also a strong connection between the gut and the brain, with the gut often referred to as the second brain.
During perimenopause and the fluctuation of hormones, the diversity of bacteria in the gut microbiome is altered. If left untreated, this bacterial imbalance can lead to digestive issues, bloating, weight gain, and a weaker immune system.
A gut microbiome imbalance can also affect estrogen metabolism and worsen perimenopause symptoms as well as increase the risk of yeast infections and UTIs.
If you’re experiencing severe perimenopause symptoms, taking a daily probiotic supplement (friendly bacteria) can help ease your symptoms while also boosting your metabolism and immune system.
8. Chasteberry
Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) is a well-known natural remedy that has been traditionally used to support hormonal balance, including during menopause. It is believed to work by influencing the pituitary gland, which helps regulate progesterone and estrogen levels.
As women approach menopause, fluctuating hormone levels can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and irregular cycles. Chasteberry may help alleviate these symptoms by promoting progesterone production and modulating the balance between estrogen and progesterone. Some studies suggest that it may also have mild dopamine-boosting effects, which can contribute to improved mood and reduced irritability, common concerns during this transition.
Additionally, chasteberry has been explored for its potential benefits in reducing menopause-related sleep disturbances and breast tenderness. Its ability to influence prolactin levels may play a role in easing discomfort associated with hormonal shifts.
While more clinical research is needed to fully establish its effectiveness, many women report positive results when using chasteberry as part of a holistic approach to managing menopause symptoms. It is often taken in supplement form, such as capsules or tinctures, and is commonly included in herbal blends designed for menopausal support.
However, as with any supplement, it is advisable to consult a healthcare provider before use, especially for individuals with underlying conditions or those taking hormone-related medications.
Popular But Unproven Supplements for Menopause
Red Clover is a common ingredient in many branded menopause supplements that promises to relieve hot flashes and night sweats, however, research into its efficacy has provided mixed results.
Research into Black Cohosh for relieving hot flashes and lifting low moods is also mixed. While some studies propose that it helps relieve low moods, others show no apparent benefits. Research also suggests that the dose and quality of Black Cohosh supplements vary widely, meaning one may work but not another. And it’s also known to react with certain medications, so caution is advised.
Creams and pills made from Wild Yam are gaining popularity for their compounds that appear to work similarly to estrogen and progesterone. However, studies so far have found no evidence that these products relieve perimenopause symptoms.
Conclusion
Many menopause supplements proclaim to relieve symptoms and improve the overall quality of perimenopause life, however, not all are what they seem. While the supplementation of certain nutrients and vitamins can successfully support the body and boost overall health during perimenopause, many supplements promising to ease menopause symptoms are baseless.
References
National Library of Medicine - The role of calcium in peri- and postmenopausal women: consensus opinion of The North American Menopause Society - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11256879/
National Library of Medicine - Association of magnesium intake with sleep duration and sleep quality: findings from the CARDIA study - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8996025/
National Library of Medicine - Increasing Iron and Zinc in Pre-Menopausal Women and Its Effects on Mood and Cognition: A Systematic Review - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4245583/
National Library of Medicine - Spotlight on the Gut Microbiome in Menopause: Current Insights - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9379122/
