Many different supplements are recommended for women who are menopausal or postmenopausal. Some of the supplements are minerals or vitamins, while others may be herb-based. Most of these supplements can help to relieve your menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sexual problems and mood swings. Other supplements may help to prevent certain diseases that you're at a higher risk for developing during and after menopause, such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
Soy
Soy contains plant-based substances called isoflavones that may act to reduce your menopausal symptoms. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens that have estrogen-like effects in the body, helping to simulate a hormonal balance to lessen the symptoms you're experiencing from the decrease in estrogen due to menopause, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. Eating soy foods or taking soy supplements can help to ease hot flashes, mood disturbances and vaginal dryness. One double-blind clinical trial found that taking 60 grams per day of soy reduced the frequency of hot flashes in menopausal women, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Another double-blind study found that taking 120 mg daily of soy isoflavones was equally effective as estrogen therapy in easing menopause-related symptoms.
Calcium
Menopause causes your estrogen levels to decrease, which may increase your risk of osteoporosis, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Therefore, you should ensure that you're getting enough calcium in your diet and through supplements. Postmenopausal women should also get plenty of calcium, ideally 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg of elemental calcium daily via supplements and diet, recommend the North American Menopause Society and the National Institutes of Health. You should take calcium supplements in separate doses throughout the day so that you don't take more than 500 mg of elemental calcium at once, the University of Maryland notes.
Progesterone
In addition to estrogen, your progesterone levels also decrease during menopause. Using natural progesterone supplements and creams may therefore help to decrease your menopausal symptoms. A double-blind study found that applying a progesterone cream to the skin helped to reduce the frequency of hot flashes in 83 percent of the studied women, says the University of Michigan Health System. Also, preliminary evidence indicates that taking micronized progesterone therapies orally can ease hot flashes, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression in menopausal women. Although progesterone supplementation can help to treat a wide range of menopause-related symptoms, it doesn't help to prevent or treat the effects of osteoporosis, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Flaxseed Oil
Like soy, flaxseed oil also contains phytoestrogens that may help to reduce your menopausal symptoms. A controlled clinical trial found that taking soy and flaxseed phytoestrogens decreased the frequency of hot flashes and treated vaginal dryness in menopausal women, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Flaxseed oil contains phytoestrogens called lignans, and they have a similar effect on menopausal symptoms as the isoflavones in soy, points out the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D supplements may help to prevent osteoporosis during and after menopause. Vitamin D is essential to your body's ability to absorb calcium, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. You should take 400 IU of vitamin D each day if you're 50 to 70 years old or 600 IU daily if you're older than 70, the University of Maryland recommends.
Vitamin E
Taking vitamin E supplements may help to reduce your menopausal symptoms. Most medical studies have found that vitamin E can help to reduce menopause-related symptoms, notes the University of Michigan Health System. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center points out that a double-blind study in Iran found taking 400 IU of vitamin E daily effectively treated menopausal hot flashes better than a placebo. Try taking 800 IU of vitamin E daily for about three months to determine whether the supplement helps to ease your symptoms.
Fish Oil
You should take fish oil supplements during and after menopause, because you're at an increased risk of heart disease during this time, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements act to lower your LDL, or "bad cholesterol," levels, which helps to reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Herbal Supplements
The most common herbal supplement used during menopause is black cohosh, due to the herb's estrogen-like effects. Taking 20 mg twice daily of black cohosh supplements may help to treat your menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, mood disturbances, depression and vaginal dryness, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Black cohosh may also help to protect against or treat osteoporosis. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center cites a 2006 medical study that discovered black cohosh has estrogen-like actions on vaginal cells and stimulates new bone formation. Another double-blind study found that combining black cohosh with the herbal supplement St. John's wort was effective in treating a wider range of menopausal symptoms, including depression. Other herbs with similar but weaker estrogen-like effects due to their plant-based phytoestrogens include red clover, alfalfa, licorice, dong quai, sage and Asian ginseng.
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