There's no single "best" over-the-counter (OTC) medicine for menopause, as effectiveness varies, but popular options include herbal supplements like Black Cohosh (for hot flashes), St. John's Wort (for mood), and Soy/Red Clover Isoflavones (for flushes), alongside lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, but always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting anything new due to potential interactions.
Menopause supplements don't work as well as hormone therapy for symptom relief — but there are some that may still be helpful. L-theanine, St. John's wort, pollen extract, and Asian ginseng may help with different symptoms in menopause, such as hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes, and low libido.
MHT is the best way to control menopausal symptoms and gives some women health benefits. Combined MHT (oestrogen plus progestogen) or oestrogen alone cause no significant increase in breast cancer or heart disease risk in women aged 50 to 59 or in women who start treatment within 10 years of menopause.
Best Multivitamins for Postmenopausal Women
The consequences of estrogen loss are hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, vaginal irritation, and risk to bone and cardiovascular health.
3 Day Menopause Reset Plan
The 3 Day Reset Plan is a perimenopause and menopause nutrition eating plan that prioritises the foods that balance blood sugar levels. The plan is suited for women who are perimenopausal and menopausal and aims to reduce swings in blood sugar, allowing energy levels to become more balanced.
Menopause: Menopause is the point when you no longer have menstrual periods. At this stage, your ovaries don't release eggs, and your body doesn't produce much estrogen. A healthcare provider diagnoses menopause when you've gone without a period for 12 consecutive months.
Jennifer Aniston is known for her vigorous wellness routine, which involves compression boots, collagen supplements and infrared saunas. Now, she's hit the headlines with her favourite fitness regime, Pvolve, which has been shown to be particularly beneficial for menopausal women.
Many women, like Oprah, are given systemic estrogen. This can be taken in a pill form, gel, skin patch, spray, or cream to relieve menopausal symptoms. Estrogen HRT has even been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease when taking post menopause – which is one year after your period has stopped entirely.
A review of the literature of 485 clinical studies (Liu 2008) in 2008 reported that 185 herbs were used to treat menopausal symptoms. Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae sinensis), a commonly used Chinese herb, was most frequently cited.
Fezolinetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. Around the time of menopause many women experience symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. These vasomotor symptoms can recur for years, disturb sleep and diminish quality of life.
Resistance or strength exercise
This is almost non-negotiable for perimenopausal and menopausal women who want to lose weight and change their body shape. Regular, consistent weight resistance exercise is the most efficient method for increasing muscle mass and metabolic rate.
Managing menopause symptoms without HRT
Cutting back on alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods, and quitting smoking, can minimize your hot flashes. Exercising regularly can reduce your risk of weight gain, as well as symptoms of hot flashes and disrupted sleep.
To increase your estrogen levels, consider adding:
Are There Prescription-Free Menopause Tablets? You can't get medical HRT treatment without a prescription – getting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment that is safe and effective for you requires an assessment by a doctor.
Bio-identical hormone treatment: Not just for menopause. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is gaining attention as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Jane Seymour, and Angelina Jolie speak candidly about their reasons for choosing this path.
Herbal remedies that are sometimes taken for menopause symptoms include:
Jennifer Aniston's 80/20 rule is a balanced approach to wellness, focusing on healthy, nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time while allowing for indulgences like pizza, pasta, or martinis (the 20%) without guilt, promoting consistency and sustainability over perfection. It's about moderation, enjoying life's treats, and getting back on track with healthy choices at the next meal or workout, emphasizing that no food is inherently "bad".
Here are the top five vitamins essential for female wellness during menopause.
The peak symptom phase typically occurs during the transition between perimenopause and early postmenopause. Most women experience their worst symptoms for 4-5 years, though the entire menopause journey can last up to 14 years.
Mood swings are another effect of low estrogen. You may feel sad, anxious, or frustrated. Shifting hormone levels and night sweats may disrupt your sleep. This can cause fatigue, which may make mood swings worse.
Getting rid of belly fat during menopause can be challenging, requiring changes to diet, exercise, and lifestyle. While it can be harder to lose belly fat during menopause due to hormonal changes and metabolic shifts, it is not impossible.
Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, are not only bursting with antioxidants but also rich in phytochemicals that have been shown to support hormonal balance and combat inflammation.