Nutrition and Supplements for Menopausal Health

By Sophia Boothby RD

There has been an influx of supplements targeting individuals who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause. This isn’t just for the individual who is going through perimenopause or menopause, but if you want to understand what your loved ones are going through, read on here.

Contents

What is menopause?

Menopause is the point in a woman’s life when her menstrual periods have stopped for 12 months. It will be defined as occurring 12 months after the last menstrual period. This is usually experienced between ages 45 to 55. However, some women may experience menopause much earlier in life, which is known as premature ovarian insufficiency.

The British Menopause Society findings state that up to 90% of women will have some symptoms related to menopause, with 25% describing the symptoms as severely impacting their life.

The reasons menstrual periods stop is due to the ovaries no longer produce oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. These hormonal changes impact the body in different ways as they have important roles in maintaining bone and heart health and supporting brain function. Oestrogen has a vital function in supporting bone mineral density and without this hormone the risk of osteoporosis (weak bone density) increases for women post menopausal.

What is peri-menopause?

This can be split into early and late peri-menopause. Early peri-menopause is the initial stage when women can start experiencing changed in their menstrual cycle pattern so that periods can become infrequent and further apart. An average menstrual cycle can be between 28 to 35 days.

Late peri-menopause is when worsening of menopausal symptoms occurs and the menstrual cycle can become even less frequent, which can be difficult to predict for women. It can be as infrequent as a few months apart.

Menopausal symptoms (these are some examples but not limited to)

Hot flushes
Night sweats
Disturbed sleep or insomnia
Low energy levels
Low mood
Anxiety
Low libido and sex drive
Impaired memory and concentration
Feeling a ‘brain fog’
Joint aches
Headaches
Palpitations (or feeling like her heart is racing)
Vaginal dryness
Urinary symptoms

Nutrition Guidance for Menopause

I would aim a food-first approach and to get all your key nutrients from a a varied and balanced diet. There is no cure for menopause. There are pharmacological treatment options that you should discuss with your GP or Consultant. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) remains the gold standard and first line treatment for managing symptoms. Non-hormonal treatments are available for those who cannot or choose not to take HRT, please discuss with your doctor.

Supplements for Menopause

Let’s not let pretty and fancy packaging make our decision when it comes to deciding on supplements to take on a daily basis. There is limited quality evidence on black cohosh, red clover, lion’s mane and ashwagandha. Although there is has been increasing amount of marketing around these supplements, approach with caution.

Vitamin D

Your skeletal muscle function is under the direct influence of vitamin as the active form of vitamin D, calcitriol is produced and present in skeletal muscle. Therefore vitamin D deficiency can impact muscle strength, however we do need further studies in this area according to 2020 study.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin created within our bodies from direct sunlight on the skin. Whilst some foods contain a small amount, throughout autumn and winter in the UK it is recommended we all need a vitamin D supplement. The recommended daily intake in the UK is 10mcg supplement of vitamin D daily.

Omega 3 Fats

Omega-3s are a family of essential fatty acids. Omega-3 has many benefits for PCOS including being anti-inflammatory, improving mood, and lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. These essential fatty acids also support the production of neurotransmitters, which can impact the thermal centre of the hypothalamus that controls our body temperature. A recent 2020 study found that omega-3 supplements were able to improve menopausal symptoms in a safe and effective way.

Soy Isoflavones

Soy Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen that has a similar structure to human oestrogen (sex hormone that is no longer produced in menopause). Isoflavones are found in plant foods such as soybeans, tofu, miso, and soya products.

The 2021 overview study has summarised that soy isoflavones or soya foods have been associated with reduced risks of endometrial and bladder cancer, alleviate hot flushes and night sweats symptoms, and reduce bone loss in the spine.

If eaten regularly or taken in sufficient amounts they can help relieve menopausal symptoms. It’s important to remember these won’t be immediate and it can take 2 to 3 months for the benefits to be seen.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral found in a wide variety of foods, including spinach, nuts and wholemeal bread. As with all minerals, it helps the body to function optimally. This includes helping to turn the food we eat into energy and ensuring our parathyroid glands (which produce hormones and support bone health) function normally.

There is limited evidence to support increasing magnesium-rich foods or supplements specifically to menopause. There are interesting findings around the mood-improving potential of magnesium and the inclusion of supplements within depression treatment. However, this remains in the early stages.

According to the NHS guidelines it is recommended to have no more than 400mg/day of magnesium. Common side effects of exceeding this amount in the short-term includes diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pains.

Key takeaways

The appeal of adding supplements to support you with menopause is understandable. Ensure that you are prioritising your nutrition and lifestyle factors firstly prior to trialling anything additional and consult a doctor to check about any interactions with prescribed medications.

Eat For You Dietitian

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