The Benefits Of Vitamin C For Symptoms Of Menopause

Menopause is the cessation of a woman's fertility, by definition occurring exactly one year after your final period. As your body goes through this transition, you might experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with your everyday life, but vitamin C may help to ease your discomfort, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Moodiness

As your childbearing years come to an end, you may experience feelings of anxiety or irritability. Depression and mood swings are frequent menopausal symptoms, but vitamin C may be of benefit. Author and medical herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford maintains that vitamin C can help alleviate mood swings, and in the book "The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health: Unleashing the Healing Power of Whole Fruits and Vegetables," nutritionist Cherie Calbom says that vitamin C has been demonstrated to help depression.

Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness is a typical menopausal complaint. In their book "The All-Natural Menopause Diet," authors Theresa Cheung and Dr. Adam Balen note that vitamin C may be beneficial if you have this condition. According to Cheung and Balen, vitamin C aids in the building of collagen, which in turn enhances skin and vaginal tissue health.

Bone Health

If you are post-menopausal, you are much more likely to have osteoporosis or osteopenia, the condition that precedes osteoporosis. If you suffer from osteoporosis or osteopenia, your bone density is low, and you are at an increased risk of bone fracture. A vitamin C deficiency contributes to low bone density; vitamin C helps your body to build bones and is necessary for good bone health.

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes, or hot flushes as they are sometimes called, are the most common symptom of the menopausal transition. If you have night sweats, or hot flashes in the middle of the night, your sleep may be interrupted. Cherie Calbom writes that research on vitamin C shows it can decrease the severity and number of hot flashes menopausal women experience.

Sources of Vitamin C

In her book "The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change," Dr. Christiane Northrup recommends you get 1,000 mg of vitamin C every day. Good sources include asparagus, baked potatoes, berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, citrus fruits, parsley, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, sweet potatoes, turnips and watercress. Meeting your nutritional needs through diet is preferable, but turn to supplements if that is not possible.