Menopause is finally coming out of the shadows, having been seen as a near-taboo subject for far too long. As a totally normal and natural part of growing older, it’s time the topic was treated with the seriousness it deserves, and it’s great to see figures such as Meg Mathews talk about the menopause with candour. Often, discussion around ‘treating’ the menopause centres on HRT, but not everyone wants to take hormone therapy, and other women simply can’t, such as some breast cancer patients or survivors. Rest assured we’ve got you covered with all-natural menopause remedies, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle and nutrition advice to help you through it without HRT. So get comfy, and settle in for your ultimate guide to surviving the menopause the natural way.
What are menopause symptoms?
Women in the UK enter the menopause at an average age of 51, but around 80 percent of us will experience menopause symptoms before then. “From around the age of 40 your body will start preparing for the menopause,” says leading women’s health expert, Marilyn Glenville.
Here are some of the symptoms you can expect, beyond the obvious irregular periods and spotting as your periods stop.
Menopause weight gain
If you’re wondering, ‘does menopause cause weight gain’… well, many women find their waistline expands when they enter the menopause; bloating can be a cause, but it’s important to go the extra mile to prevent weight gain if you can. Excess fat increases your risk of certain diseases like cancer, and a recent study found that obesity can make menopause symptoms a whole lot worse.
According to nutritionist Henrietta Norton from Wild Nutrition , women who are overweight may experience a later onset of menopausal symptoms. Genetic polymorphisms , or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), can also affect symptoms experienced in the menopause.
Hot flushes in menopause
This is one of the most common symptoms affecting women going through the menopause, affecting up to 85 percent of women. According to Intimina’s gynaecologist Dr Shree Datta, their frequency and severity varies, and cases can last up to five or in some cases 10 years. “Don’t forget they might also be triggered by things such as stress, smoking and a high caffeine intake,” says Shree.
Skin changes in menopause
“As you age, your skin slows its cell production, meaning it loses elasticity and can be prone to dryness,” says Dr Shirin Lakhani, founder of Elite Aesthetics . This is due to the loss of collagen in the skin, which is in steady decline from your mid-twenties, causing sagging, especially in the lower face.
As you head towards the menopause, acne becomes less of an issue as decreasing oestrogen levels slow sebum production. However, this can make your skin dry and dull.
Look to include a retinol product within your skincare routine, such as ZO Skin Health to combat lines, and wear a broad-spectrum SPF throughout the day to protect against pigmentation.
Menopause and anxiety
According to menopause expert and gynaecologist, Anne Henderson , you can expect to experience psychological symptoms as your hormones adjust during the menopause.
Stress can have a significant influence on your experience of the menopause, according to Henrietta Norton. Set aside regular time to do something that makes you feel good or try to find a hobby, and don’t feel guilty about spending time on yourself. Laughter in particular is highly stress-relieving.
A loss of libido
“With the menopause comes hormone changes that result in a loss of libido, vaginal dryness and often other symptoms such as incontinence and prolapse. All of this can affect the desire to have sex,” says Shirin. “It’s important to remember that thanks to medical advances, we should all be able to enjoy a healthy sex life well into our eighties, if not longer. Ask your doctor or chemist for the best lubricant for menopause dryness. If your libido is dropping with age and impacting your relationship, then it’s advisable to speak to your doctor to discuss remedies such as HRT or treatment for other age-related complaints.”
Sleepless nights
During the menopause, tiredness is a common complaint. Sleep expert for Health & Her, Dr Sophie Bostock says, “Night sweats typically start to disrupt sleep in perimenopause and persist for several years post-menopause. Not all hot flashes wake you up, but they are associated with increased arousal in the brain, which is linked to lighter sleep. To maintain deep sleep, the body needs to cool down, so when your internal temperature dial is running wild, it interferes with both getting to sleep, and staying asleep.”
To help tackle the problem, Shirin suggests keeping cool with a ‘chill pillow’ filled with water or other cooling material. “Use fans during the night and wear lightweight, looser-fitting clothes made with natural fibres such as cotton,” she adds. “If your night sweats are causing you disturbed sleep which in turn is impacting your health, it is important to consult your doctor, as they may be able to help.”
Menopause diet
We all know that what we put into our bodies has an impact on how they perform, and the same is true during the menopause. “Ever noticed those hot flashes and night sweats increase after having steak and red wine for dinner?” asks women’s health acupuncturist Kerry Woodham . “Red meat and alcohol, in addition to caffeine and chocolate, can increase your body temperature,” she adds. Below are foods that may just ease those pesky symptoms .
Fibre
Make sure you are eating plenty of fibre from wholegrains like quinoa, brown rice, millet and oats. It helps with digestion and keeps you regular – sluggish bowel movements can actually make menopausal symptoms worse.
Good fats
Cut out processed foods and focus on good fats which are needed for brain function and memory. They can also alleviate menopause joint pain and stop your skin from appearing dry. Include avocados, olive oil and oily fish in your diet as much as you can.
Fish
Interestingly, one study found that eating a lot of fish was the most important dietary change someone can make to delay the onset of menopause. Lifelong sun exposure seems to increase the risk of early menopause.
Red wine
Red wine has also been found to delay the onset of the perimenopause (the two to eight years before the actual menopause when symptoms can start). It’s thought that the compound resveratrol has oestrogen-like actions.
Plant oestrogens
Including foods like soya milk, linseeds, tofu, miso and celery, sesame and pumpkin seeds, plus green beans and rhubarb, means you’ll be taking in plant oestrogens. These bind to receptor sites in the body, and increase the overall level of oestrogen in your body, which can help keep things more in balance.
Foods rich in tryptophan
It’s also important to get enough of the amino acid tryptophan. It’s essential for your body to produce serotonin, the feel-good chemical. Find it in turkey, cottage cheese, oats and legumes.
Best menopause supplements
Taking dietary supplements won’t solve everything, but they can help your body work in harmony with your hormones. While nutrition always comes first, there’s evidence to suggest that bolstering our bodies with specific supplements as a natural remedy can help support our systems.
Vitamin D
We all know that catching a few rays in summer can magically generate the vitamin D our bodies need to regulate calcium in our bones and teeth. But the common deficiency our population faces between October and March becomes a bit more serious as we age. We should be thinking about our bones way before the menopause, but it is a key time to reassess your calcium intake and vitamin D.
Folic acid
It’s prescribed for women during pregnancy, but there’s evidence folic acid can improve hot flashes – 65 percent of the women in one study found they lessened when they took the nutrient. And two weeks after stopping, all the women experienced a return of their symptoms.
Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol has shown some very promising results in recent studies. It’s an extract of French maritime pine bark, and has been found to decrease major menopause symptoms like fatigue, hot flashes, irregular bleeding and low mood. Helpfully, it’s also been found to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Magnesium
Taking magnesium for menopause symptoms is worth a try, as levels of magnesium are usually low owing to modern diets. Known as nature’s tranquiliser, this important mineral helps to soothe the stress and anxiety women can experience during turbulent hormone years. If low mood is an issue, you might want to consider St John’s wort. This is a traditional herbal remedy that’s been found to improve quality of life for menopausal women and help them sleep better.
What are some natural remedies for menopause symptoms?
While HRT (hormone replacement therapy) brings millions of women relief from acute menopausal symptoms, the associated health risks can make plant-based alternatives a more appealing starting point. For medical herbalist Katie Pande, senior herbal advisor to Pukka Herbs , women looking for herbal remedies for menopause symptoms represent 70 percent of her caseload. Try these herbs for menopause, and see how you go!
Black cohosh
Medical director of Healt h span, Sarah Brewer says: “This wild flower’s underground stem and roots are used to treat menopausal symptoms as it lowers levels of LH (the luteinising hormone), helping to normalise oestrogen-progesterone balance.
“It also has an effect on the dilation of blood vessels and helps to relieve hot flashes, night sweats, low libido and mood swings, as well as improving sleep. Results from clinical trials have found that black cohosh extracts had a significant impact on menopausal symptoms, reducing them by over a quarter.”
Sage
Sage leaves contain several antioxidant polyphenols and essential oils that have antiseptic, astringent and perspiration-inhibiting properties, which can relieve menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Sarah says: “A study involving 69 women who’d experienced symptoms for at least a year, and who had at least five flashes a day, showed that sage leaf extracts reduced the frequency of mild hot flashes by 46 percent, moderate flashes by 62 percent, severe flashes by 79 percent and stopped very severe flashes altogether.”
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is commonly used in Ayurveda as herbal medicine. It’s an adaptogenic herb that assists our ability to adapt to stress via the pituitary gland and adrenals. Henrietta says, “KSM-66 Ashwagandha has been shown to promote the reduction of some stress hormones such as cortisol.”
Agnus castus
According to Marilyn, this herb works on the pituitary gland, which is the gland that sends the message down to the ovaries to release hormones. “It can help increase levels of certain hormones if they are too low and decrease them if too high,” says Marilyn. “It is also the best herb to take if you are getting mood swings, anxiety and tension.”
Dong quai
Dong quai is a herb from traditional Chinese medicine and is helpful for both hot flashes and night sweats. Marilyn says: “Research has shown that it not only helps reduce hot flashes and night sweats in one month, but is also helpful for fatigue and disturbed sleep.”
St John’s wort
This is a traditional medicine for relieving low mood due to its natural antidepressant effect, and is known as nature’s sunshine herb,” explains Sarah. “It can also improve low sex drive. After three months of taking the herb, 60 percent of women with a low libido became interested in sex again and enjoyed, or even initiated, sex with their partner.
Plus, 82 percent suffered less irritability, anxiety, low mood, hot flashes, excess sweating and disturbed sleep. They also reported increased self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect.”
Milk thistle
In any situation where you are aiming to balance the female hormones, it is very important to add in herbs like milk thistle, which can improve liver function. Marilyn says, “It is your liver that is doing the hard work of detoxifying your hormones, so you want to make the job as easy as possible.”
Turmeric
According to Henrietta, Turmeric supports liver detoxification, which is essential when supporting hormone metabolism.
Rhodiola rosea
This plant is also known as mountain ginseng. According to Sarah, “Its roots contain several unique substances, such as rhodioflavonoside, which are believed to have a calming action, increasing levels of serotonin to improve mood, while also suppressing stress hormones. It also has an energising action and enhances sleep quality, making it helpful for overcoming symptoms of anxiety and fatigue associated with the menopause.”
Yoga for menopause
Throwing shapes on the yoga mat might be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re burning up and suffering from sleep deprivation, but it could be just what your body needs. A review from the University of Washington showed that many of the troublesome symptoms suffered by menopausal women, such as poor sleep, hot flashes, a lack of concentration and feeling pain can all be improved with regular yoga practice. And, if you’re wondering how to lose weight in the menopause, yoga can be a great choice; especially high-intensity yoga types such as Bikram yoga.
“It may sound strange, but yoga can have a real effect on menopausal symptoms,” says Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, a yoga therapist with special expertise in yoga therapy for women’s health. Try her recommended moves.
Pelvic tilts against a wall
Lie down with your knees bent and place the soles of your feet on a wall about hip-width apart. Your shins should be parallel to the floor at a 90-degree angle to your thighs.
As you exhale, activate your legs and push your feet into the wall. Keeping your lower back on the floor, let your tailbone lift as you tilt your pelvis back. Then reverse the tilt as you inhale so that you arch your back. Repeat several times.
Why it works: Being upside-down changes our perspective on life and revitalises us. These inversions give immediate relief from the sensation of descent into the pelvic organs and maintain a sense of supported lift through breath, pelvic angle and feet and leg activity.
Ladder against the wall
Stand in mountain pose, about 50cm away from a wall. Inhale and reach your arms up above your head. Exhale, shift your weight into the balls of your feet and tilt your body forwards until your arms come into contact with the wall. Breathe fully, and mentally scan yourself from your heels to your head on the inhale, and from your head to your heels on the exhale. Rest here for as long as you need.
Why it works: Working against a wall gives a combination of resting and strengthening options to improve posture and build strength. At a symbolic level, using the wall this way creates a real sense of having something solid to rely upon.
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