Perimenopause marks the beginning of going through "the changes" that are the start of menopause. During this time, women go through both physical and psychological changes. Many women chose to use hormone replacement therapy to ease some of the more troubling symptoms, such as mood swings and hot flashes, but there are natural alternatives, such as vitamins, that are shown to also relieve discomfort.
Identification
Perimenopause occurs two to eight years before menopause begins. In this stage, women will begin to experience symptoms such as hot flashes and irregular menstrual periods due to a dramatic shift in the hormone estrogen. Menstruation will become sporadic until disappearing completely, which occurs normally between the ages of 45 and 55 -- this is when menopause begins. Once menopause begins, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue and infertility begin.
Calcium Importance
Medline Plus states that 1 in 5 women over the age of 50 run the risk of developing a disease called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes inadequate bone production in the body. This results in brittle bones that fracture easily and aches and pains. The risk increases with menopause due to the decrease in the hormone estrogen. For this reason, the Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that women between the ages of 45 and 50 take 1,000mg of calcium per day to reduce the risk.
B-complex Needs
One troublesome symptom that some women have during menopause is mood swings. Mood swings come as a result of imbalances in the reproductive hormones that occur at this time. One particular vitamin that may help with this symptom is vitamin B6. Vitamin B6, according to the Harvard Medical School, is needed to control sleep, appetite and mood. Women also notice a thinning of hair during this stage of life. B-complex vitamins also help in the production and maintenance of hair and nail growth.
Considerations
Eat whole grains, nutritious fruits and vegetables and healthy dairy daily to increase the amount of vitamins and minerals your body demands from you. You can do this by incorporating the five food groups into each meal you eat per day, by drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice or by taking vitamin supplements. Since certain vitamin needs increase during this stage in life, you can purchase multivitamins formulated for women over 40.
Warning
Before taking any vitamin supplements, consult with your physician. There are many conditions that can mimic the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause that should be eliminated before treating your symptoms with vitamins. In addition, certain medications should not be taken when taking vitamin supplements because they may cause an adverse reaction when combined.
