The Best Vitamins For Menopause: What Really Works?

Understanding Menopause And Its Challenges

Before rushing into what vitamins to take during menopause, knowing what the term menopause means in to health experts. Menopause officially begins 12 months after your last period. It usually strikes between the ages of 45 and 55. 

The time period immediately before menopause is marked as perimenopause, during which the levels of hormones start changing, further resulting in the menses cycle becoming variable.

During this time span, the female body starts producing less estrogen and progesterone, which affects as follows:

a) Bones: Due to the depletion of estrogen, osteoporosis comes calling. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease or when the structure and strength of bone change.

b) Heart: Menopause also messes with cholesterol levels. This leads to increased chances of heart disease.

c) Skin and Hair: In women, lack of progress in the collagen department results in thin-skinned and finer hair. Collagen is a structural protein that’s a building block of hair, skin, nails, and other tissues.

d) Mood And Sleep: The moods are all over the place, with heightened anxiety and sleepless nights increasing in frequency.

e) Hot Flashes: Hot flashes are frequent uninvited visitors of the menopause period.  These are the most troublesome feelings that women find uncomfortable. The proposed reason for this is decreased estrogen levels. 

You will get more ideas about hot flashes and their natural remedies here: Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes: Effective Relief During Menopause.

Vitamins have been an effective solution in countering the adverse impacts. Vitamins can be powerful allies in managing these challenges, helping to support bone health, balance moods, and improve energy levels.

Let’s explore each of these vitamins in detail and their relevance in the subsequent sections.

Vitamin D: Crucial For The Immune System And Bones

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and is essential while going through menopause, as the decrease in estrogen can lead to bone weakening. Our body can make it when exposed to sunlight.

# Benefits Of Vitamin D

• It helps the immune system, which may weaken as a person increases in age.
• It promotes a sense of calm and even helps with symptoms of depression, which are found in menopausal women.

# Sources Of Vitamin D

• Your body: Depending on your skin type, try to spend 10-30 minutes in the sun several times a week.
• Diet: Salmon and mackerel, enriched milk, egg yolks, and mushrooms.
• Dietary supplements: You can also consider supplementing vitamin D during menopause. These would be helpful if you live in a region with limited sunlight or have low Vitamin D levels. 

Vitamin B6: Easing Mood Swings And Fatigue

Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is important for the development of the chemical serotonin, which controls every individual’s mood. During menopause, women experience low levels of serotonin, which is said to cause irritability, depression, and fatigue.

#Benefits Of Vitamin B6

• It helps to have a steady and less hormonal-jumpy mood.
• Increased energy through red blood cell count.
• Help during perimenopause when women experience water retention and bloating.

#Sources Of Vitamin B6

• Rice, fish, yoghurt, bananas, potatoes, and grain cereals.
• An increased dosage of these vitamins in the form of supplements can be helpful for women who are experiencing severe symptoms.

Vitamin E: A Natural Remedy For Hot Flashes

The most difficult symptoms of undergoing menopause are hot flashes and night sweats. Research studies prove that powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E reduce the intensity and the occurrence of these flashes.

#How Vitamin E Helps

• Potentially replaces estrogen to reduce the chances of hot flashes.
• Maintains smooth skin by preventing dryness and wrinkles.
• It protects cells from oxidative stress, which can increase with age.

#Sources Of Vitamin E

• Almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, avocado and sunflower oil

Vitamin K: For Stronger Bones And A Healthier Heart

Another equally crucial Vitamin is Vitamin K, which helps with various processes postmenopause. Vitamin K is essential for bone health. Vitamin K works alongside Vitamin D and assists in absorbing calcium, which is required for building bones. It also helps with cardiovascular diseases by stopping artery calcification.

#Benefits Of Vitamin K

• It prevents the chances of osteoporosis and fractures.
• Lowers the chances of heart diseases caused by loss of elasticity in arteries.

#Sources Of Vitamin K

• Leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli. 
• Fermented foods like natto, which is a Japanese dish of fermented soybeans.

Vitamin C: Supporting Collagen And Immunity

Collagen, an important protein for skin and joint health, gets relatively lowered during menopause. Vitamin C helps improve the production of collagen and helps promote immunity. 

#Benefits Of Vitamin C

• It keeps skin tight and glowing.
• Make the joints and connective tissues better. 
• It helps in fighting diseases and helps the overall immune system. 

#Sources Of Vitamin C

• Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, and oranges. 
• To enhance its effectiveness, add a lemon to a glass of warm water and drink it first thing in the morning. This is an excellent technique to improve your vitamin C consumption while also helping with digestion. 

Magnesium: The Relaxation Mineral

Although magnesium is not a vitamin, it deserves a place on the list due to its ability to aid in menopause care. 

#How Magnesium Helps

• It enhances the quality of sleep by soothing the nervous system.
• It reduces muscle cramps and headaches. 
• It strengthens bones and produces energy. 

#Sources Of Magnesium

It is found in nuts such as almonds and cashews, seeds such as pumpkin and chia, whole grains, and dark chocolate.

Incorporating Vitamins Into Your Daily Routine

It doesn’t need to be complex to make such vitamins part of your everyday life; here are some practical steps to include vitamins in your daily life for better results. Also these healthy practices will help subside your menopause symptoms.

Tip 1 : Eat A Balanced Diet

Look for whole foods and dense nutrients. Add in vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Try your best to skip processed foods; otherwise, the symptoms of menopause will get worse.

Tip 2: Plan Ahead

Plan your meals so you can include different types of vitamin-enriched meals. For example, you can prepare a salad of spinach, avocados, and grilled chicken. That way, you will be set for your vitamin K and B6 dose. Similarly, research and prepare suitable food combinations to meet your daily vitamin needs.

Tip 3: Take Supplements If Needed

Research has proven that proper nutrition is a must to ensure a safer and healthier menopausal journey. If your diet sources aren’t enough or you have certain deficiencies in your body, consumable supplements would solve that problem, of course, alongside the required diet. Consult with your physician prior to starting any new vitamin supplements.

Tip 4: Stay Hydrated

It is universal that hydration is key. Not only does it help with absorbing nutrients, but it also solves dryness, which is common during this period.

Cultivating a menopausal-friendly lifestyle requires a lot of effort. You can choose the wise path to a healthy and happy tomorrow or the ignorant path to a troublesome life ahead. We would always suggest a more natural and well-planned approach from the start so that you can tackle those challenges easily during the budding phase itself.

At Nirva Health, we are devoted to making every woman brave enough to experience the process of aging that comes with menopause. Taking a more comprehensive view including appropriate supplements, dietary measures, physical activity on a regular basis on top of managing stresses could do wonders.

Rose Foster, shared her positive experience, stating that her general and mental health improved after joining the program at Nirva Health.

"My general and mental health has improved enormously, and I feel so much more able to cope with life’s stresses. Most of my menopause symptoms are either resolved or manageable now. I’ve felt deeply supported throughout this journey, and the yoga sessions tailored specifically for me have been a game-changer.” — Rose Foster.​

Wrapping It Up

Every woman goes through a significant transition through the introduction of the menopause phase, which brings both opportunities and challenges. This phase calls for many actions and precautions to ensure a healthy and smooth journey. One among these is including the right amount of vitamins in your diet.  

We have discussed several crucial vitamins that would help the transition phase account for a less challenging period. Any woman needs a tailored plan during the phase of menopause to overcome this with confidence and a sense of strategy throughout the process.

You may develop these new dietary habits along with taking supplements where needed and being more systematic in your daily routine. You may make this new shift the most productive one. Don’t think of this menopause phase as the end but rather the start of another phase of your life.