An Expert Review of 4 Natural Supplements that Ease Menopausal Symptoms
So your doctor told you to “suck it up”. All these changes happening to your body and mood—and your dastardly sweat glands—are normal.
Just deal with it.
Oh nay, we say! Now we don’t want to lessen your doctor’s expertise or the grueling years of studies he/she has underwent to obtain their license. But that’s just the thing: the curriculum most doctor’s are taught hasn’t been updated in decades.
There are myriads of sound scientific studies that show just how effective natural products can be in easing your dreaded “change of life.” And we’re not talking about the latest media-fueled trends. A lot of these natural products have been used for thousands of years—unbeknown to us in the West—in cultures varying from Native Americans to ancient Egyptians and across Europe, China and Japan.
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So Why Do Doctors Shy Away from “Alternative Treatments”?
Granted, taking a natural supplement or eating certain kinds of foods to control menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes and irritability, can sound a bit strange. But the age-old truism, “we are what we eat”, is especially appropriate when talking about hormonal changes.
Unless a doctor has been taught about holistic approaches to improving health and hormone imbalances (most haven’t), the simple truth is that they would rather not “rock the boat.” They therefore default to conventional treatments, believing they are more effective or safer. This is also compounded by the fact that they are too busy to keep up with the latest studies that demonstrate the benefits of specific natural products.
Yet the go-to procedure for many years—hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—is now being reconsidered as its cancer risks outweigh its benefits in most cases [study]. Only a fraction of women who have been assessed to have a very low cancer-risk profile should consider HRT.
It’s also not surprising that prescription drugs have been the prevalent solution recommended by doctors over the last 30 years.
If you follow the money, you quickly realize that the big pharmaceuticals who’ve invested
millions in research and patents are doing their best to keep the status quo.
Not to mention the price of prescription drugs than can be 100x the price of their natural counterpart. But that’s a whole other story we won’t get into today…
Science-Backed Menopause Relief from Mother Nature?
It’s no secret that the major factors in combating menopause symptoms are your diet and lifestyle. If you lead a stressful, sleep-deprived life, your hormones will suffer.
If you eat a lot of processed foods, refined flours, sugar or artificial sweeteners, your body will be in a constant state of inflammation. Your energy levels will be low and you will be prone to fat gain, especially around the belly.
The normal hormonal imbalance caused by menopause will be exacerbated. And this will cause more frequent or severe episodes of hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings, and take a strain on your libido, energy and mental clarity.
So apart from exercising, taking more “me” time
and controlling your diet, what can you do?
Thankfully, science has revealed a wide variety of herbs, oils, vegetables and plants that can drastically lessen the intensity of your symptoms.
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DIM
Did you know that the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage contain a compound that is converted into a cancer-fighting byproduct in your body?
This compound, called DIM or diindolylmethane, has also been shown to have a favorable effect on estrogen metabolism1. Getting rid of the bad kind of estrogen in your body, the one linked to cancer, is crucial if you are undergoing perimenopause because your body is dealing with too much estrogen, which causes a hormonal imbalance.
This is known as estrogen dominance and stems from the fact that your progesterone levels take a much deeper dive at the onset of menopause.
Eating enough cruciferous vegetables to get beneficial amounts of DIM in your body is simply not feasible. You’d have to eat several platefuls of those greens at every meal, every day! Thankfully, supplements containing enough DIM such as those reviewed below are available to help you fight this imbalance.
Wild Yam for Natural Progesterone
The crux of your perimenopausal symptoms is caused by the imbalance of your progesterone levels versus estrogen levels. When that ratio is out of whack, your sweat glands start misbehaving and cause hot flushes and night sweats, along with the vaginal dryness and low sex-drive you may be dealing with.
Taking synthetic progesterone has been shown to help correct this imbalance. However, because it is a lab-produced chemical that your body sees as foreign, it comes with a whole slew of negative side effects we’d rather avoid…
That’s where wild yam comes into play. As many cultures have traditionally included wild yam in their diet, and especially to favor women’s health, scientists have studied it to see whether is contains health promoting properties.
They discovered it has progestinetic attributes which contribute to increasing progesterone in your body2-4. What’s more is that this form of progesterone is bio-identical, meaning that it is identical to the progesterone produced by our own bodies (in our adrenal glands and ovaries).
Why is this good?
Well, your body treats it as something natural and endogenous, and studies have confirmed it to be a safe and more effective form of progesterone that can help lessen menopause symptoms.5-7
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Black Cohosh
This plant is found in many menopause supplements and that’s because it has been widely researched. In multiple placebo-controlled studies, scientists have found it to be effective in relieving menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and improving sleep8-9.
St. John’s Wort
Commonly used to treat mild depression and sleep disturbances, this plant is also a god-send to many perimenopausal and menopausal women.
This is because studies have indicated that it lessens the severity, frequency and duration of hot flashes, and its side effects are no greater than the side effects of a placebo10-13.
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that have estrogen-mimicking effects on your body. After perimenopause, which is marked by a big drop in progesterone, the second most important hormone that starts waning in your body, and that you need to regulate, is estrogen.
Apart from showing signs of preventing bone mineral density (BMD) loss and thereby helping you maintain a stronger bone structure during menopause14, phytoestrogens can also help stimulate estrogen in your body and lower it when there is too much.
This is why phytoestrogen-containing supplements are often described as balancing your estrogen levels. This balance leads to less menopause symptoms and a better overall quality of life because of improved sleep, less night sweats, less vaginal dryness, and better fat metabolism.
The most well-studied and effective phytoestrogens we’ve come across are Red Clover Flower15-16, Chastetree 17-18, Soy Isoflavones19-20 and Licorice Root Extract21-22.
Adaptogens
Popular across Asia, India and Europe, adaptogens are natural substances that have been found to help us adapt to our stressful environment.
Roots like Ginseng and Maca have long been consumed for their energy boosting effects and have been shown to reduce hot flashes in women and increase their sexual desire23-25.
Ginkgo Biloba, which is believed to stimulate blood flow in our bodies, has also been found to reduce hot flashes, increase sexual desire and improve sexual function in menopausal women26.
Essential Oils: Geranium, Clary Sage, Peppermint
Essential oils have been found to increase salivary estrogen concentrations in perimenopausal women and this is helpful in combating low estrogen levels27.
Clary sage oil has an added benefit: it acts as a mild anti-depressant by decreasing cortisol, your stress hormone28.
Our Top Recommendations for Easing Menopause Symptoms Naturally
#1 – MenoPlay
Description:
An entire system comprised of a natural supplement containing both DIM and Black Cohosh and a bio-identical progesterone cream that target menopause symptoms and hormone imbalance, along with a unique multi-vitamin aimed at improving overall health.
Rating:
Things We Like:
Endorsed by a Doctor (as seen on their website)
Guarantee: 60-day money back
Free trial: free 30-day supply (available here at the time of this review, April 2017 )
Additional Considerations:
- This is the most complete system we’ve encountered and it contains a smart array of well-researched ingredients including bio-identical progesterone, adaptogens, phytoestrogens and essential oils
- Parent company, Aviano Botanicals, has a 99% lifetime satisfaction rating on Amazon.com, based on over 12,800 reviews
- Made in the USA in FDA-approved manufacturing facilities
- Great for women who are in perimenopause, menopause or even post menopause