Menopause supplements: Should women take them?

If you are a woman who approaches or crosses menopause, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms. These may include hot flashes, night sweats and irregular periods, to name only a few.

There are many supplements on the market to alleviate these symptoms, but which do you make sense to take?

What exactly is menopause?

Menopause is the period where a woman permanently ceases to have menstrual rules and can no longer become pregnant. It generally starts between 45 and 55 years and can last 7 to 14 years.

Meanwhile, the ovaries of a woman slowly and naturally start to fail and make lower levels of two key hormones: estrogens and progesterone. Estrogen controls the menstrual cycle and progesterone supports pregnancy.

Additional menopause symptoms

As estrogen and progesterone decrease, the body reacts in various ways. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, a woman can also feel things like:

• Mood swings
• Vaginal dryness
• Changes in sexual desire
• Difficulty concentrating or with memory
• More often
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• Joint and muscular ailments
• Sweating
• PMS type symptoms
• Lightening hair
• Dry skin
• Weight gain
• Loss of mammary fullness

“Some women also lose their sense of well-being during menopause,” said Dennis Sands, MD, gynecologist at Osf Healthcare. “In these cases, they do not feel well. They no longer feel well in their lives or themselves. ”

Best menopause supplements

Several over -the -counter drugs are presented as being able to help with some or all these symptoms. But women should be careful before they believe these statements.

“In general, a lot of home remedies are very well marketed. They are promoted as cure or things that will work for the most common complaints, such as heat puffs,” said Dr. Sands. “However, we have discovered that most of them do not work, and there is often no data that show that they work.

“In addition, many of these drugs, including natural menopause supplements and plant remedies, are marketed in the form of food supplements, and not pharmaceutical.

However, two effective supplements are low -dose and progesterone hormones. They are generally recommended for women under the age of 60 or within 10 years of the start of menopause.

“These are currently the best menopause supplements because they are the only ones to have been studied and to be effective,” said Dr. Sands. “They come in the form of a patch or cream that is applied to certain parts of the skin. They also come into very safe pills in most patients. ”

Menopause vitamins and minerals

As the level of natural estrogen of a woman drops, her risk of bone loss increases. This can be helped by obtaining more calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. However, it is better to pass these nutrients through food instead of counting on supplements.

“The main reason to pass these things through food is to improve absorption through the digestive system,” said Dr. Sands. “While some nutrients in supplements are absorbed in the body, many of them are not. Instead, they simply go out in your urine. Many people will not tell you, but that is reality. This is one of the reasons why a balanced diet is so important.”

Supplements for bloating and belly weight

During menopause, a woman can feel bloating and an increase in the weight of the belly. But instead of turning to supplements, a large part of this is better treated in another way.

“Bloating is caused by the body that retains water, which can be caused by sodium,” said Dr. Sands. “You can reduce the amount of sodium in your diet by avoiding fries, not adding salt to food, etc. Exercise two to three times a week – 20 to 30 minutes each time – can also help a little because you burn salt by sweating.

“With regard to weight, our metabolism slows down as we age. However, menopause also slows it down. So avoid polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats as well as exercise regularly can help you lose weight. ”

The impact of overall health

Although certain recommended menopause supplements can help symptoms in healthy women, they do not heal all or effective for everyone. This is why it is important to speak to your gynecologist to discover what is best for you.

And even if the treatments vary, a advice that each woman is likely to hear is the importance of maintaining her overall health.

“We have noticed that women who do the exercise, have the right amount of sleep, have good relationships and are in good overall health that generally manage fairly well in the menopausic transition,” said Dr. Sands. “On the other hand, it seems that many women have more difficulty when they are more stressed, do not sleep enough and are simply not as healthy as they should be. So obtaining the right balance in your life can help reduce the symptoms of menopause. ”

A health care provider can also determine if the other drugs you take aggravate your menopause symptoms.

“If you have trouble, consult your health care provider and review all the options,” suggests Dr. Sands. “There are excellent options that are effective and safe. Generally, they are only used for a short period to pass people through the transition. If you find an additional cost you want to try, tell your doctor first. Some things may not be harmful, but they may also not be beneficial. ”

Last update: August 22, 2024