- Category : Menopause, Women's Health
Perimenopause and menopause are significant stages in a woman’s life, characterized by hormonal fluctuations that can cause a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. Many women turn to supplements as a natural and holistic approach to managing these symptoms. In today’s article, I will review some of the Best Supplements for Perimenopause and Menopause.
Whether you just started your transition into perimenopause or you have been in menopause for several years, today’s review will be a comprehensive guide to some of the best supplements for improving your mental well-being and hormones naturally.
This is a video transcript of a video that can be watched on Dr Hagmeyer’s YouTube Channel.
Before we get into the best supplements for perimenopause and menopause, I think it’s important to understand why certain symptoms are showing up. In other words, what’s causing the symptoms? In functional medicine, we always want to know what’s at the root cause.
Often, when I consult a new patient and I look at the supplements she is taking, the supplements are inappropriate for what’s going on inside her body.
WHAT symptoms you experience and WHAT hormones are unbalanced will dictate what the BEST supplement is for the symptoms and hormone challenge you are facing.
The wonderful thing about Natural Medicine is that there are so many natural herbs and vitamins that can do an amazing job of helping you feel normal again.
There are a lot of supplements to choose from, and I will review some of the best supplements for perimenopause and menopause, but keep in mind that the BEST approach to correcting the hormone imbalance starts with testing and knowing what hormones are out of balance.
There is much more to correcting hormones than simply replacing low levels of hormones. So let’s jump into some of the best supplements for perimenopause and menopause, WHAT these supplements do, and WHEN to use them.
Perimenopause
During perimenopause, estrogen levels typically start to decline. But it doesn’t do so in a gradual fashion like you see in the picture here. Estrogen levels may become erratic and rise and dip suddenly, leading to big imbalances between estrogen and progesterone and along with this imbalance between estrogen and progesterone you experience all those annoying symptoms, like hot flashes, bloating, headaches, mood swings. During perimenopause, you are not ovulating on regular basis, so now you start developing problem with low progesterone levels.
The most common physical symptoms of low progesterone is irregular menstrual periods, spotting but mentally you may experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, Brain fog and because you are now leaning towards a more estrogen dominant state, you might also start gaining weight. And then there are the changes to your thyroid gland and your testosterone levels. Many woman during menopause and perimenopause are diagnosed for the first time in their lives with thyroid problems or autoimmune Hashimoto’s disease
There are also changes to your Androgen hormone levels. This is a group of hormones like testosterone, DHEA, and androstenedione. As your androgens like testosterone levels decline, a woman can also experience loss of strength, loss of stamina, and weakness. Here again, with low androgens you can also experience Depression, Anxiety, Brain fog, loss of libido, and in general a feeling of weakness- some of this is because low androgens have on your brain neurotransmitters.
So now that you are a bit more familiar with some of the different hormones that can become unbalanced and problematic, let’s review some of the best supplements for perimenopause and menopause.
1.Black Cohosh (Actaea acemose)
One supplement that has been widely recognized for its efficacy in promoting hormonal balance during perimenopause and menopause is black cohosh. Traditionally used by Native Americans to address women’s health concerns, black cohosh has gained attention for its potential to alleviate symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats
In a study of 80 postmenopausal women experiencing hot flashes, women who took black cohosh had fewer hot flashes than those who didn’t over an eight-week period of time.(*)
Black Cohosh contains compounds with similar properties to estrogen.
For those of you who have had a bad reaction to estrogen or are looking for a more natural way to support your declining estrogen levels, Black cohosh and this little boost of estrogen may be all you need to do the trick and help with hot flashes.
The other thing about Black cohosh is that several studies show that it can also help with binding to your body’s opioid receptors, giving it a painkilling effect.(*) For this reason, it’s sometimes used to reduce the muscle aches and body pains associated with menopause, perimenopause, and post-menopause. Black cohosh significantly reduced depression and anxiety.
In several studies, black cohosh is the most useful in alleviating mood and anxiety changes (*) during menopause.(*)
Now the thing with any of the supplements that I mention in today’s video is that they are not drugs, so you are not going to see overnight changes when you start taking them. Typically you need to give them a minimum of a 3-5 month window.
2. DIM aka Diindolylmethane
Another supplement with potential benefits for perimenopause and menopause is DIM, short for diindolylmethane. Earlier in the video, I mentioned something called estrogen dominance. While it’s true that as woman go through perimenopause, they often experience declining estrogen levels, those estrogen levels are relative to your levels of progesterone.
A woman can still have Estrogen dominance an have low estrogen levels and the most common symptoms for this is going to be Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, tender breasts, anxiety, headaches. When you eat cruciferous vegetables, your stomach acid breaks down a compound called indole-3-carbinol to produce a new compound called DIM. (*)
DIM encouraging the production of beneficial estrogen metabolites and reducing the harmful ones, so in many respects DIM (Diindolylmethane) can help support and balance the estrogen levels and estrogen-progesterone imbalance. Many woman use DIM because it helps balance the different kinds of estrogen metabolites and this in turn helps with those spikes and dips in estrogen that I mentioned earlier. Additionally, DIM has been shown to inhibit an enzyme called aromatase, which converts testosterone to estrogen. (*)
Next on my list of supplements that every woman in perimenopause and menopause should consider especially when you are feeling a bit more anxious, feeling restless at night, maybe having trouble sleeping is L-Theanine and Passionflower.
I’ll talk about these two together because both are best known for calming your mind and your body.
3. L-theanine and Passionflower
Finding that mental zen and focus when you are in the thick of perimenopause can be a challenge. This is where L-theanine might just fill the void.(*) During perimenopause and menopause, many women experience mood swings and anxiety. L-theanine, a compound found in green and black tea, offers relaxation and mental well-being support. It has a calming effect on the nervous system, which can aid in reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality.
If you can relate to feeling anxious, a little foggy, a little bit on edge or unfocused mentally? You might find L-theanine helpful. If you have never heard of L-theanine, L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea leaves and mushrooms (*) and the great things about L-theanine is that it naturally lowers the body’s cortisol levels or the stress handling hormones. (*) Cortisol is a hormone that’s made in the adrenal glands, Cortisol shoots up when you’re feeling stressed, and feeling in that fight or flight state.
Cortisol unfortunately, it’s also a hormone that helps you store fat. So, if you are noticing that you seem to be gaining weight out of nowhere, it might be time to check your Thyroid hormones and your adrenal hormones.
L-theanine works because it brings cortisol back to a healthy level, it also works as a natural anti-inflammatory and that can be a great thing because most aches and illnesses, at their core, are rooted in inflammation, so at the same time it’s helping you cope with stress, and lowering cortisol levels, it’s also fighting inflammation naturally. (*), (*) Next on my list of of best supplements for perimenenopause and menopause is Saw Palmetto.
4. Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto, known for its traditional uses, also benefits women during perimenopause and menopause. This supplement has been found to alleviate urinary symptoms associated with hormonal changes. Earlier in the video, I said that its not uncommon for woman during perimenopause to experience a loss of libido, loss of stamina and feeling a loss of strength. These symptoms are frequent during perimenopause and menopause. Very often these symptoms are attributed to declining androgens levels like testosterone, Androstenedione and DHEA. Because of Saw Palmetto’s ability to improve androgen balance, many women turn to Saw Palmetto.
The benefits of balancing androgens include things like:
- They Help women build bones
- They Helps develop and maintain muscle
- They Helps Supports neurotransmitters and Mental Health
- They Helps Boosts energy and libido
- They Help with weight loss, because they help maintain muscle.
Unfortunately, as you age, testosterone often gets converted to DHT (dihydrotestosterone).DHT is also an androgen hormone, But high levels of DHT can cause hair loss or thinning hair on the head and that’s something I’m sure woman don’t want. If you are noticing hair thinning or hair loss and again you are perimenopausal it might be time to consider Saw Palmetto. Saw Palmetto could help in this department because it inhibits 5-alpha reductase, which is responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. (*)
If you are losing your hair- watch my video, “Dr Hagmeyers Top 5 Reasons for Hair Loss in woman” So let’s shift gears a bit away from testosterone, and estrogen and progesterone and talk about some of the other hormone imbalances that are often missing in the treatment for woman during perimenopause and that’s adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue is another COMMON reason perimenopausal woman experience fatigue, brain fog, Insomnia and anxiety, restless leg. In fact, I recommend that before you start out on HRT or ERT that you give your adrenal glands some attention because in many cases supporting these hormones and this gland goes a long, long way. During perimenopause your ovaries are slowing down, but the backup system to your ovaries are your adrenals. In fact, during perimenopause your adrenals are working double time.
Not only are they helping you deal with all your daily stressors, but because the ovaries are slowing down, the adrenals are now picking up some of the slack.
This is why its incredibly common to see adrenal fatigue shows up during perimenopause and if not addressed it’s also why menopausal and Perimenopausal symptoms for some woman can be hell despite taking bio-identical hormones. Woman that have a terrible Menopause are woman that had some major problems with their adrenal glands during Perimenopause. Again, the hormonal problem snowballs.Let’s move onto some additional supplements very helpful for supporting the adrenal glands and that brings us first to B vitamins.
5. B Vitamins
Fatigue and mood swings are common among women during perimenopause and menopause. B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folate, can play a vital role in energy production and mood regulation. These vitamins aid in metabolizing essential nutrients, supporting emotional well-being and alleviating fatigue. B vitamins in general are cofactors for the enzymes that are involved in the energy-producing metabolic pathways for carbohydrates, fats and proteins. B vitamins play an important role in maintaining the functions of the nervous system (*), (*). But thats not all…
B vitamins play an essential role in helping the adrenals RESPOND to stress and PRODUCE adrenal hormones specifically Cortisol and DHEA. (*) If the body does not have enough B vitamins, especially B1, B3, B5 and B12 the (all very common in perimenopausal woman) adrenals may not be able to make adrenal hormones. This leaves you vulnerable to declining Cortisol and DHEA levels and symptoms like fatigue, Brain fog, anxiety and all the other symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue I’ve already mentioned.
Studies show, B vitamins supports balanced cortisol production, help reduce high cortisol levels triggered during stress events and improve mental health.(*)
My next favorite supplement for woman who are transitioning into menopause is vitamin C.
6. Vitamin C
Now…. Vitamin C often gets overlooked because we hear about it so much, but the fact of the matter is that without vitamin C your going to have a hard time activating cortisol, dopamine and adrenaline because it’s an important cofactor (*)
What that means is that not only do you feel tired and run down but when dopamine and adrenaline are low, you can’t think straight, you can’t stay focused, you can’t get off the couch, you feel blah in life, you have lost your motivation and you become more prone to colds and infections. Most animals can make their own vitamin C, humans have lost this ability, which in turn, predisposes us to a heightened stress response and at times poor coping skills. (*) If you are someone who can relate to stress and feeling overwhelmed, some extra vitamin C would do your body wonders by supporting your adrenal glands.
Advanced Liposomal Nutrient Delivery Technology from a Liposomal Vitamin C
NuMedica Liposomal Vitamin C provides 1,000 mg of Vitamin C delivered in phosphatidylcholine liposomes for optimal absorption and bioavailability.
A liposome is a phospholipid (important molecules that provide structure and protection to cells) that forms a barrier around its contents, in this case the Vitamin C. This protective barrier is resistant to enzymes in the mouth and stomach, alkaline solutions, digestive juices, bile salts, and intestinal flora that are generated in the human body, as well as free radicals.
Liposomes pass through the digestive process without degrading the ascorbic acid so that more of it enters the bloodstream and reaches the intended cells and tissues.
The last supplement on my list for Perimenopausal woman to consider is Ashwagandha.
7. Ashwagandha.
A lot of women who want to look beyond HRT (estrogen and progesterone) use adaptogens for hormone balance. Ashwagandha is one of the most well-known adaptogens and oftne finds itself on the list of best supplements for woman during perimenopause and menopause.
Adaptogens simply helps the body resist and adapt to the damaging effects of stress. That stress can be emotional, physical, or chemical and it’s the stress response that once again raises cortisol levels and can worsen all of your perimenopausal symptoms.
Adaptogens works by lowering the stress threshold, which in turn supports your adrenal glands when your hormones decide it’s time to take on their alter ego.
If you are not familiar with adaptogens, The incredible thing about them is their ability to help you respond to what your body needs in that specific moment.
Adaptogens can either calm you down or they can help stimulate your body. For many woman Adaptogens like ashwagandha and Rhodiola and Eleuthero can be godsend for peri-menopausal women. The other reason I chose to include ashwagandha in my list of best supplements for perimenopause and Menopause is that ashwagandha has the added benefit of supporting thyroid function in woman who have hypothyroidism.
If you have HYPER-thyroidism you may want to avoid using ashwagandha as there are several studies that shows it can help increase T3 thyroid hormone levels and this would not be good if you are already hyperthyroid. In these cases, the other adrenal adaptogens I mentioned like Rhodiola and Eleuthero would be better options.
While I didn’t talk too much about Thyroid problems and Perimenopause in today’s video, there are many other videos that I have already done that cover this topic so I only wanted to briefly mention it today. If it’s something you want to know more about, I recommend that you watch this video Next titled, “Estrogen Dominance and Thyroid Disease- 5 Ways to Help You Reverse Estrogen Dominance”
If you feel you would like to benefit from any of these supplements, You can learn more by clicking on any of the links you see below
