Natural Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

The transition into menopause can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, cognitive decline, vaginal dryness, insomnia, joint and muscles aches. The decline in estrogen during menopause also increases your risk for conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis. 

Although menopause is inevitable, it’s important to consider lifestyle changes and supplements that may reduce your symptoms and ease the transition into this next phase of life. 

Lifestyle Factors

Diet 

Optimizing your nutritional intake plays an important role in reducing the symptoms of menopause and decreasing your risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. If you are suffering from hot flashes, limiting spicy foods, caffeine and sugar can be helpful as these are common triggers. A whole foods diet rich in phytoestrogens is beneficial in reducing general menopausal symptoms. Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds found in legumes, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sprouts, tofu and soy milk. Phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptors and can reduce symptoms caused by a deficiency in estrogen. 

Exercise

Exercise is another key lifestyle change which can help decrease the common menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and insomnia – and it’s not too late to start. Resistance training such as lifting weights can help maintain your muscle mass and bone mass while reducing your risk for osteoporosis as estrogen levels decline. Regular cardiovascular exercise, stretching and weight training can also help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. 

Smoking

If you smoke cigarettes, ask for help to quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk for severe menopause symptoms from hot flashes and night sweats to cardiovascular disease. 

Alcohol

Alcohol is another modifiable lifestyle factor that can make an impact on how you experience this menopausal transition. Alcohol intake can increase the frequency of hot flashes while reducing sleep quality. It can also worsen low mood and anxiety and increase cardiovascular risk. 

Herbal Support and Supplements  

While you are integrating the above lifestyle and nutritional recommendations, consider using Harmony Menopause, Harmony Day and Night and Harmony Menopause Max. These formulas cover the bases and are a great solution for managing your menopausal symptoms and improving your quality of life during this critical time. 

With the synergistic blend of Eastern herbs, minerals and vitamins, these formulas can help balance your hormones and reduce a wide variety of menopausal symptoms as well as the chronic diseases associated with the decline in estrogen. 

Here’s the breakdown of the key natural ingredients in this Harmony triad:

Chase Tree

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) can reduce symptoms of menopause such as mood swings, insomnia, and night sweats.¹

Angelica

Angelica is an herb commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a female remedy for gynaecological conditions. This herb can be especially helpful for women suffering from hot flashes²

Chinese Yam

Chinese Yam (Dioscorea Opposita) has estrogen- like effects in the body and helps relieve night sweats and support energy.³

Peony

Peony is used to help relieve many complications of women’s health. In TCM, it nourishes the liver blood and decreases sweating. Peony also contains phytoestrogens which are structurally similar to estrogen, and act like estrogen in the body.⁴

Bupleurum

Bupleurum is a traditional herb used in Chinese medicine to help relieve irritability and emotional distress. This herb can also aid in the prevention of estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss.⁵

Ziziphus

If struggling with sleep as a symptom of menopause, ziziphus can be used as a mild sedative. Ziziphus may be helpful in promoting a good night’s sleep, reduce night sweats and relieve insomnia.⁶

Vitamins and Minerals

There are specific vitamins and minerals which are crucial in ensuring optimal health during this hormonal transition.

Calcium 

The adequate intake of calcium may help prevent bone loss and osteoporosis in peri- and post-menopausal women.⁷

Magnesium

Magnesium helps to maintain proper muscle function, including the heart muscles, as well as energy metabolism, tissue formation and bone development. Often, post-menopausal women have mineral deficiencies and lower bone density. Magnesium plays a role in bone health, therefore, supplementation with magnesium, is often recommended in this population.⁸

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps in regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the body, and the development and maintenance of bones, healthy skin, and muscle strength. In addition, estrogen increases the activity of the enzyme responsible for activating vitamin D. During menopause, declining estrogen levels can lead to symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. ⁹

Although the transition into menopause can be quite disruptive, choose Harmony as a natural solution to ease your symptoms and support you during this hormonal shift. 

Shop the Harmony Menopause range here:

Well.ca 

Harmony Menopause | Harmony Menopause Day & Night | Harmony Menopause Max

Vitasave.ca

Harmony Menopause | Harmony Menopause Day & Night | Harmony Menopause Max

References 

1. Lucks BC. Vitex agnus castus essential oil and menopausal balance: a research update [Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery 8 (2003) 148–154]. Complementary therapies in Nursing and Midwifery. 2003 Aug 1;9(3):157-60.
2. Kupfersztain C, Rotem C, Fagot R, Kaplan B. The immediate effect of natural plant extract, Angelica sinensis and Matricaria chamomilla (Climex) for the treatment of hot flushes during menopause. A preliminary report. Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology. 2003 Jan 1;30(4):203-6.
3. Zeng M, Zhang L, Li M, Zhang B, Zhou N, Ke Y, Feng W, Zheng X. Estrogenic effects of the extracts from the Chinese yam (dioscorea opposite thunb.) and its effective compounds in vitro and in vivo. Molecules. 2018 Feb;23(2):11.
4. Li M, Hung A, Lenon GB, Yang AW. Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one. 2019 Sep 19;14(9):e0222383.
5. Yeom M, Kim EY, Kim JH, Jung HS, Sohn Y. High doses of Bupleurum falcatum partially prevents estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss with anti-osteoclastogenic activity due to enhanced iNOS/NO signaling. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2018:1314.
6. Coyle ME, Liu J, Yang H, Wang K, Zhang AL, Guo X, Lu C, Xue CC. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) and jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) formula for menopausal symptoms: Classical records, clinical evidence and experimental data. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2021 Aug 1;44:101432.
7. North American Menopause Society. Management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: 2006 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause (New York, NY). 2006;13(3):340-69.
8. Mahdavi-Roshan M, Ebrahimi M, Ebrahimi A. Copper, magnesium, zinc and calcium status in osteopenic and osteoporotic post-menopausal women. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism. 2015 Jan;12(1):18.
9. LeBlanc ES, Desai M, Perrin N, Wactawski-Wende J, Manson JE, Cauley JA, Michael YL, Tang J, Womack C, Song Y, Johnson KC. Vitamin D levels and menopause-related symptoms. Menopause (New York, NY). 2014 Nov;21(11):1197.