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Brain fog. Sleep difficulties. Decreased libido. Hot flashes. Not to mention an increased risk for osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive impairment (including Alzheimer’s Disease).  Menopause is a real joy.  Or not.  Thankfully, there are natural approaches that can help reverse all of the above. Lifestyle changes can have a massively positive effect, as can certain herbal supplements. So let’s look at those so you can find a way to reclaim your brain and body!  What Is Menopause?  Menopause, apart from being a pain in the backside, is considered the phase a woman enters twelve months after having her last period. This often happens in a woman’s 40s or 50s, but can happen in her 30s or 60s, too. When it happens depends on genetics and lifestyle, as well as potential disease. A woman also enters menopause if she has a hysterectomy. To understand menopause, consider this explanation from WebMD: (1) “Women are born with all of their eggs, which are stored in their ovaries. Their ovaries also make the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control their period (menstruation) and the release of eggs (ovulation). Menopause happens when the ovaries no longer release an egg every month and menstruation stops.” However, everything doesn’t happen at once. According to Cleveland Clinic: (2) Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause. It describes a time when hormones start to decline and menstrual cycles become erratic and irregular. You may start to experience side effects of menopause, like hot flashes or vaginal dryness. Menopause occurs when you’ve stopped producing the hormones that cause your menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row. Once this has occurred, you enter postmenopause. Postmenopause is the time after menopause has occurred. Once this happens, you're in postmenopause for the rest of your life. People in postmenopause are at an increased risk for certain health conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease. The hot sweats, mood swings, brain fog, and other wonderful symptoms women experience have to do with the drop in progesterone and estrogen. It can disrupt the body in all sorts of irritating, not to mention, dangerous, ways.  But…and that should be a big BUT…there are upsides to menopause AND there are ways and means to help regulate your hormones and regain control of your body!  Many women find it relaxing not having to go through their period and associated pains and mood swings every month. And if you have a long term partner, having sex without worrying about contraception is an added bonus if you’ve already had children. Now, let’s move onto looking at the “irritating” (to say the least!) symptoms you might encounter and the more dangerous underlying stuff that sometimes happens in your body. Once we get through that, we’ll look at how to tame all that and go back to being your wonderful self (only without PMS and period pains!).  Symptoms Associated with Menopause So, let’s dig into those annoying symptoms…  According to the World Health Organization, symptoms associated with menopause include: (3) Hot flushes and night sweats. Hot flushes refer to a sudden feeling of heat in the face, neck and chest, often accompanied by flushing of the skin, perspiration (sweating), palpitations, and acute feelings of physical discomfort which can last several minutes; [...] Vaginal dryness, pain during sexual intercourse and incontinence; Difficulty sleeping/insomnia; and  Changes in mood, depression, and/or anxiety. A lot of women also report a decrease in libido.  Unfortunately, after menopause, women also become more susceptible to various health problems and diseases: (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) Fat can build up in your arteries, making them narrower (increasing your risk of coronary heart disease, a heart attack, and stroke). This is due to estrogen levels going down. It becomes harder for your body to control sugar levels, which can increase your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and weight gain (metabolic syndrome). Weight gain is, in turn, linked to inflammation, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.  Your cholesterol levels might go up, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Your blood vessels might not respond as well to change, meaning your blood pressure could go up. The amount of pericardial fat (fat around your heart) can also increase, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart diseases.  It can alter your cognitive functioning, energy production in the brain, and increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.  You’re more susceptible to osteoporosis.  Your immune system might not function as well as before.  Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But don’t fret, there are things you can do to combat all of this. And those things will also help keep you fit and mentally sharp as you enter the second half of your life. And as this is the half of your life where you (hopefully) have lots more wisdom and smarts, it’s important to stay fit for fight so you get to enjoy it!  The Cause vs. the Symptoms  It’s important to understand that the above are symptoms, not the cause. This is important, because treating the symptoms doesn’t address the underlying cause, while treating the underlying cause addresses both the cause and the symptoms…to an extent.  For example, if you have already started to gain weight, the weight won’t drop off automatically because you address the cause. That could simply help prevent further weight gain, you will still have to do other things to lose weight. What’s causing the symptoms of menopause is, in most cases, a decrease in estrogen and/or progesterone. Now, these two hormones affect a lot of stuff going on in the body. Including thermal regulation, the circadian rhythm and sleep regulation, as well as mood and memory. Estrogen appears to be the hormone that’s particularly essential for maintaining these functions. (9) This is why compounds that are believed to boost estrogen production or imitate estrogen in the body are often taken as herbal supplements and/or eating specific foods for the same reason. While measuring the efficacy of these treatments has been difficult due to the many variables of what people have been consuming, the overall effects appear positive and it does not have any known direct side effects. (10) (11) (12)   In some cases, hormone replacement therapy is used instead, but that can come with complications, including increased risks for stroke, blood clots, heart attack, urinary incontinence, vaginal bleeding, dementia, liver cancer, death from lung cancer, and breast cancer, though in some cases HRTs or just taking the pill decreases the risk of breast cancer and death from breast cancer. It can also decrease the symptoms of menopause, as well as lower the chances of getting osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, endometrial, colon cancer, and diabetes. (13) (14) (15) (16) All of the above might sound scary, but note that dosage, whether you take estrogen and progestin together, or just estrogen, as well as the amount of time you take it for, all play a role.  Trying to directly boost estrogen and progesterone is not the only thing you can do. Improving your heart health, balancing your blood sugar levels, as well as improving cognitive functioning and lowering inflammation (which is linked to all of the above) can be just as important as trying to boost estrogen and progesterone levels. Interestingly, when you lower stress hormones and inflammation it’s also easier for the body to produce estrogen and progesterone, even though it will never reach pre-menopause levels.  Bear in mind that a lot of the symptoms of menopause are the same as the symptoms of aging (which comes with an increase in inflammation, decline in cognitive functioning, higher risk for cardiovascular problems, decreased cell health, and so forth), it just seems like menopause speeds it up drastically…which is why we need to slow it down! That means that looking into supplements and lifestyle changes that improve your overall health and slow down the aging process is helpful.  And, in some cases, if you do everything you can for your body, you end up in better shape than before menopause!   Lifestyle Changes to Consider  There are two natural ways of combating the effects of menopause—lifestyle changes and supplements. One without the other is less effective. Taking care of your body and mind is the ground work. Then supplements can help balance out imbalances and fine tune something that’s, so to speak, out of whack or has declined due to age, or menopause. They can target a specific biological process that needs a bit of a boost.  Below you will find some lifestyle changes that can help improve your overall health (both mental and physical), as well as help you with the symptoms of menopause. This is because healthy living helps balance your hormones as well as improve bodily functions at large. (17) (18)  These are some things that can help boost your physical and mental health (including overall happiness):  Adequate sleep on regular hours Exercise (20-30 minutes of cardio per day, as well as some weight training to help prevent osteoporosis) Social interaction Building up cognitive reserve by learning new things and experiencing new things Eating healthy (a whole foods diet, often the Mediterranean diet is recommended, but the important part is that it contains little to no processed foods and plenty of veg, as well as a balanced intake of proteins, carbs, and fats) and taking dietary supplements to go along with it (omega-3, probiotics, and a multivitamin a few times a week especially if you worry about getting enough calcium)  Meditation and mindfulness exercises  Spending time outdoors, particularly in nature The above has also been recommended to improve cognitive functioning, which, as mentioned, can become affected by menopause. One study also found that religious service attendance can help with dementia, but this might have to do with the social aspect. (19) (20) (21) (22) One study found that having sex increases estrogen and progesterone but that was prior to menopause, so it’s unclear if the same is true after menopause. (23) Also remember that: (24) Stress can cause hormonal imbalance Being overweight can cause hormonal imbalance Poor sleep can cause the body to produce stress hormones (which in turn means it will produce less estrogen and progesterone) Having looked at lifestyle changes that can help support your mental and physical health, lower your stress, and balance your hormones, let’s look at natural ways to increase progesterone and estrogen.  Increasing Hormones Before we look at increasing progesterone and estrogen, please note that no matter what you do, you won’t produce as much of these hormones as you did before menopause. That’s not possible unless you use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and even then, it’s not your body producing the hormones.  There are, however, ways of ensuring you produce as much of the hormones as possible. This is particularly important during perimenopause when your body is still able to produce decent levels of the two hormones.  There are also phytoprogestins and phytoestrogens in various foods. These mimic estorgen and progesterone in the body. This is likely why a lot of women report a decrease in symptoms associated with menopause when consuming them. However, it’s important to understand that the body cannot convert them to the actual hormones. Nonetheless, they appear to have positive effects and help with the symptoms of menopause. (25) (26) (27) How to Naturally Increase Progesterone  How much you can naturally increase progesterone production hasn’t been established, but there are some things that have yielded positive results. Just beware that after menopause hits, you won’t be able to produce that much progesterone no matter what you do but it’s still important to support the body, and during perimenopause it might also help alleviate symptoms. You can potentially increase progesterone by: (28) (29) Reducing stress as stress can cause the body to turn progesterone into cortisol, a stress hormone, or simply suppress the body’s ability to create progesterone  Avoiding excessive exercise (again it can cause the body to create stress hormones) Taking herbal supplements, including chaste berry and evening primrose oil Certain foods can help the body produce progesterone due to the vitamins and minerals they contain. Just note that after menopause hits, the body still doesn’t produce much progesterone. That’s why phytoprogestins are often much more important as the mimic progesterone. But if you’re in perimenopause and simply want to produce as much progesterone as possible, you can still try including the following in your diet: (28)  beans broccoli Brussels sprouts  cabbage cauliflower kale nuts pumpkin spinach  whole grains What doesn’t appear to help is the so-called natural progesterone creams available, such as ones made with wild yam. (30) That said, the odd study yielded some positive results. (31) There is also some positive research into phytoprogestins and the effect they have on the body (though a lot more research is needed). Consuming these is likely what will be the most effective if you’ve already reached menopause. You can buy supplements that are rich in phytoprogestins, including chamomile, oregano, verbena, turmeric, thyme, red clover and damiana. (32) (33)  How to Naturally Increase Estrogen Again, there is no “magic button” to press to make the body produce more estrogen. However, there are some ways in which you can support your body in creating estrogen, or use phytoestrogens to mimic estrogen in the body (which is, as mentioned regarding phytoprogestins, important after menopause hits as the body cannot make anywhere near the amounts of estrogen it used to produce): (34) (35) (36) (37) Consuming soybeans (including soymilk, tofu, and tempeh), flax seeds, and sesame seeds (possibly the oil of those), peaches or nectarines, cruciferous vegetables, dried apricots, prunes, dates, garlic, blueberries, strawberries, red grapes and red wine (contain resveratrol), and blackberries (most of these contain phytoestrogens) Vitamin D, B vitamins, boron, and DHEA (a hormone that can help create estrogen and testosterone in the body, but please note it can come with severe side effects, including various types of cancer, though that might have to do with dosage) Herbal supplements (or simply consuming the herb/spice through meals or teas), including licorice, red clover, thyme, turmeric, hops, verbena, black cohosh, chasteberry, dong quai (Angelica), evening primrose oil, red clover (you will find out more about these supplements below) Now, let’s move onto supplements that have been proven to work in reducing the symptoms of menopause. This ranges from more directly noticeable symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep and mood disturbances, and brain fog, to more serious effects that you might not notice at first, such as more severe cognitive impairment, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis.  Plant Based Supplements for Menopause  If lifestyle changes and eating foods and herbs taken as supplements that naturally help increase estrogen and progesterone isn’t enough, you might want to look into different supplements to combat symptoms and prevent disease.  Some of these measures can be useful even if you don’t suffer from any outward symptoms as they can potentially help improve your overall health and prevent inflammation, cognitive decline, osteoporosis, and heart disease.  General Symptoms The below supplements are for symptoms that are generally associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, mood and sleep disturbances, low libido, and vaginal dryness.  Black Cohosh: Research suggests it might lower overall symptoms, including hot flashes, though there appears to be a debate whether it affects mood, or not unless combined with St. John’s Wort (note that St. John’s Wort can be dangerous if combined with certain medications, including antidepressants) (38) (39) (40) (41) Evening Primrose Oil: It’s been indicated in some studies that it lowers general symptoms, but other studies have found that it has no effect (42) (43) Chasteberry: When combined with black cohosh, evening primrose oil, and soy isoflavone appears to lower overall symptoms of menopause (44)  Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis): The verdict is still out there if Dong Quai on its own makes a difference, but when taken with other herbs mentioned in this list it appears to have a positive effect (45) Astragalus: One study found that astragalus was effective in lowering overall symptoms. It’s also shown promise in inhibiting weight gain and preventing osteoporosis (46) (47) Sage: Appears effective in treating hot flashes and is used for cognitive functioning (48) (49) (50) (51) Licorice Root: Might lower the rate of hot flashes (52) Schisandra Fruit (Magnolia Berry): Might be beneficial for hot flashes, sweating, and heart palpitations, though more studies are needed (53)  Maca: Might be able to improve sex drive (54) Korean Ginseng: Might improve general feeling of wellbeing and sex drive (55) Valerian: Commonly used to treat anxiety and poor sleep, it appears to improve sleep quality in menopausal women. In general when treating sleep, it’s often combined with lemon balm, passion flower, hops, and chamomile, as well as sometimes lavender and linden/lime (56) (57)   Osteoporosis  One of the main concerns with old age is osteoporosis. To ensure your bones stay healthy, it’s vital that you exercise, especially strength exercises. You also need to get adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D (as they work in tandem for bone health), boron (found in dried plums which appear beneficial for bone density in menopausal women), and vitamin K. You might want to consider a daily vitamin that includes the above, as well as other vitamins and minerals as they play a part in bone health, such as vitamin A and zinc. (58) (59) When it comes to supplements, probiotics might be useful in helping the body absorb calcium and astragalus has shown promise in improving bone metabolism. (60) (61) (62) A Holistic Approach to Menopause  As mentioned previously, there are other things going on in the body that can lead to complications after menopause, particular in relation to cognitive and cardiovascular health, as well as metabolism and blood sugar levels.  This is why we suggest you look beyond your current symptoms and actively work to prevent symptoms of aging.  For example, lower levels of estrogen, means lower levels of nitric oxide (NO). NO is involved in a lot of different biological processes in the body, particularly vascular health, which is a major concern for menopausal women. However, it’s also involved in cell health (including mitochondrial function and telomere length, which is crucial when it comes to the aging process), preventing inflammation, blood circulation (which helps distribute oxygen and nutrients and furthermore good blood circulation is needed for sexual arousal), and athletic performance, among other things. (63) Read more about nitric oxide and the role it plays in your body, as well as how to increase levels here.  Aging is what causes menopause, and menopause is what causes aging. Interestingly, it’s become clear that NAD+, which is involved in the aging process (your NAD+ levels go down as you age, leading to a number of “aging symptoms”), also appears to be linked to menopause. Research is now being done to see if increasing NAD+ or decreasing the activity of CD38, an enzyme that is linked to inflammation and, when triggered, “consumes” NAD+. (64) (65)  As NAD+ is involved in so many of the biological processes involved with aging, including declining cell health, increased inflammation, and neurotransmitter dysfunction (which affects mental health and cognitive functioning) increasing your levels of NAD+ can help combat this. In turn, the more serious effects linked to menopause, such as cognitive impairment and heart health, might be improved by increasing your levels of NAD+. Good news? Apart from the lifestyle changes mentioned above, which also help NAD+ production, you can take supplements to increase NAD+ levels. Just taking the precursors for NAD+ has gotten a bad rep as they can cause side effects, but lower doses as well as using herbs that help regulate CD38 and improve NAD+ synthesis can assist you.  Read more about NAD+ and reversing the aging process here.  Lastly, it’s wise to look into your cognitive health. Cognitive functioning naturally declines with age and the amount of plaque that can lead to Alzheimer's build up. But there are a lot of herbs and even foods that show promise when it comes to lowering inflammation and improving neurotransmitter functioning and plasticity. For example, studies have found that consuming dates and drinking coffee might help prevent Alzheimer’s. So have a cuppa and a date or two a couple of times a day! As mentioned, dates are also a phytoestrogen, so if looking for something sweet with your coffee, dates, prunes, dried apricots might not be a bad idea! The milk and the sugar on the other hand, consider honey and vegan milk… Mind you, regular dairy milk contains one of the precursors (Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)) to NAD+. (66) (67) (68)  Read more about how to improve cognitive functioning here.    A Combined Approach for Maximum Effect  We believe that you can’t look at one biological process in isolation when looking at the effects of menopause. It’s important to look at ways to increase estrogen and progesterone, particularly through lifestyle changes. Likewise, supplements that can manage immediate symptoms, such as hot flashes and a decrease in libido, can be extremely useful.  However, it’s just as important to look at things that improve cardiovascular health, bone health, and cognitive functioning at large. No matter what you do to address your hormone levels, you’re still aging and need to use preventive measures to stay atop of the game. Especially as you will only notice these issues over time, so preventing them before they become an issue is a recommended way of dealing with it.  We offer four plant based supplements that can help you with preventing some of the more difficult side effects of menopause. One was especially developed to increase NO in the body, one to boost sirtuins (which are necessary for NAD+), one for NAD+, and one for cognitive health. Interestingly, a lot of the herbs in these formulas are also herbs used to treat menopause symptoms such as dong quai (with astragalus), sage, licorice, schisandra fruit, and ginseng.  In addition, ginger, dong quai (with Astragalus), and Chinese licorice might help prevent metabolic syndrome and improve heart health. (69) (70) Hope for a Healthy Body and Mind After Menopause  When you stop looking at just treating the more immediate symptoms of menopause, as well as taking into account the bigger picture—improving your mental and physical health at large while preventing the effects of aging—a new picture emerges. One where you work to:  Reduce the immediate symptoms both through boosting estrogen and progesterone through lifestyle changes and supplements, but also by using specific herbs to treat symptoms  Improve cognitive health Improve bone health Improve cardiovascular health  Lower blood sugar levels Decrease the effects of aging This can be done through a combined approach of lifestyle changes and supplements. In fact, if you’ve been…slacking off…a bit with certain elements of your lifestyle, with this approach you might end up feeling better than you did before menopause!  Menopause is part of life and signals a part of our life that we should enjoy—after all, we worked hard to reach this point! So do what you have to to feel great!  Our Menopause Support Suggestions  Renewal Boost - NAD+ (increases NAD+ levels which decrease during menopause, improves overall health, reverses some of the aging process, decreases inflammation)  Renewal Boost - Sirutin Boost (increases NAD+ levels which decrease during menopause, improves overall health, reverses some of the aging process, decreases inflammation) Energy + NOx Boost (boost NO levels which decrease during menopause, and improves athletic performance and vascular health)  Cognitive Boost (boosts cognitive functioning and lower inflammation, particularly in the brain) Plus, the above supplements include dong quai (astragalus), sage, licorice, schisandra fruit, and ginseng, which have been proven beneficial in treating immediate menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes.  In addition to this, do embrace the lifestyle changes mentioned in this article and try eating foods that can possibly mimic estrogen in the body.  Sources: 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