Learn About Supplements for the Relief of Menopause Symptoms
The final menstrual period a woman has marks the beginning of menopause and is usually confirmed after there hasn’t been a period for 12 consecutive months (with no other obvious health concerns). Genetics, family history, ethnicity, and lifestyle factors such as physical activity, smoking status, and weight can affect the age of menopause. While the average is age 51, women typically experience natural menopause between ages 40 and 58. The biggest predictor of menopause onset is the age our mother entered menopause. (Interestingly, a cross-sectional survey of 22,484 women conducted in the U.S. found geographic age variations. Southern women reported menopause 10.8 months earlier than Northeastern women, 8.4 months earlier than Midwestern women, and 6 months earlier than Western women.)
Physical changes leading up to the final menstrual period typically begin 4 to 8 years earlier. This transition phase is perimenopause. Perimenopause begins with irregular menstrual cycles and last one year after the last menstrual period. Menopause happens because a woman’s ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Irregular menstrual periods may be the only change some women experience during perimenopause. However, more than 60 percent of North American women experience other menopause symptoms as estrogen and other hormone levels decline.
Women experience menopause symptoms differently. These are common perimenopause signs and symptoms:
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes in menopause are a vasomotor response to a lack of estrogen. A hot flash is the body’s way to cool itself. Some women simply feel suddenly warm while others feel intense heat. Hot flashes are typically felt and seen as redness of the upper face, neck, and torso created by widening of the blood vessels, increased skin temperature, and increased blood flow. Of menopause symptoms, hot flashes are the most common. About 75 percent of women experience hot flashes during this time. Most women experience hot flashes for up to about two years, but some women have them much longer.
Disrupted Sleep
Some women find they simply have more difficulty getting a good night’s sleep during this time of life. While sleep hygiene can improve sleep quality, dietary supplements may also help.
Night Sweats
About two-thirds of women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats caused by the drop in estrogen levels. Night sweats happen when hot flashes occur during sleep and heavy sweating wets sleepwear and bedding that awakens the sleeper.
Mood and Thinking Changes
With perimenopause, established hormonal rhythms are disrupted. Premenopausal women often complain of increased irritability, depression, and new difficulties in thinking. Changes may be attributed to changing hormonal rhythms and/or lack of sleep due to night sweats. However, midlife is a stressful time for women, and balancing aging parents, children, careers and relationships may be contributing factors.
Vaginal Dryness
As estrogen and other hormone levels decline, vaginal tissues may become thinner and dry, causing discomfort, pain, burning, or soreness.
The North American Menopause Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and The Endocrine Society agree that most healthy, recently menopausal women can use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other prescription medications for relief of menopausal symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy is the gold standard for the treatment of menopause symptoms. However, each woman’s health is unique and prescription medications may not be appropriate or preferred for all women.
Cooper Complete Menopause Health is a soy-free supplement specifically formulated with BioResponse DIM®, pure genistein, vitamins, herbs, and isoflavones. Cooper Complete Menopause Health is designed to support normal perimenopause and menopausal symptoms and healthy estrogen levels in women†.
Red Clover (trifolium pratense)
The flowers and stalk of the perennial herb red clover contain isoflavones called phytoestrogens that are like female hormones. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like plant compounds and one of the most studied phytoestrogens are isoflavones, particularly trifolium pratense which is found in red clover, and glycine max which is found in soy.
An analysis of 7 clinical trials found that while red clover did not improve hot flashes it was associated with improvement in night sweats. The isoflavones in red clover may be helpful in reducing night sweats.
Black Cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa)
Although black cohosh, a flowering perennial plant native to North America, can grow to 10 feet tall, only the roots and rhizomes (underground stems) of the plant are used in supplements. Researchers aren’t sure which compounds in black cohosh are beneficial but suspect synergistic activity of phytoestrogens and triterpenes compounds in this herb. Triterpene glycosides found in black cohosh extract acts synergistically with phytoestrogens to suppress excessive secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH).
LH is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland and helps control the menstrual cycle. It triggers the release of an egg from the ovary. An LH blood test helps confirm the start of menopause. It is thought sudden increases in LH secretion, which occur in response to declining estrogen levels, may be responsible for many symptoms associated with menopause.
Researchers have studied the effectiveness of black cohosh in relieving menopausal symptoms for decades, and the evidence suggests black cohosh is safe and effective at reducing menopausal symptoms, primarily hot flashes and possibly mood disorders. Black cohosh is widely used in Europe and is approved in Germany for premenstrual discomfort, painful menstruation and menopausal symptoms.
In an open-label trial studying black cohosh, 80 percent of the 629 subjects reported fewer menopausal complaints after 4 weeks and 50 percent reported a complete disappearance of symptoms within 6-8 weeks. Studies have also shown black cohosh supports emotional well-being by promoting a sense of calmness, along with a positive mental outlook.
DIM Diindolylmethane
DIM stands for 3,3’-Diindolylmethane, an indole (a type of phytochemical). This compound is formed in the body from plant substances contained in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and cabbage. In its crystalline form, DIM is highly insoluble and poorly absorbed. Cooper Complete Menopause Health contains patented BioResponse DIM®. BioResponse DIM® contains pure DIM microencapsulated to be highly bioavailable and easily absorbed in the body. DIM supports beneficial estrogen metabolism and is an important factor in maintaining hormonal health.
Genistein
Genistein belongs to a class of plant compounds called phytoestrogens that functionally mimics the role estrogen plays in the body. It is a plant isoflavone with a similar structure to estrogen but is hormone-free. While genistein is an isoflavone found in soybeans and soy milk, GeniVida® is a pure, nature-identical soy-free form of genistein. Soy protein (which naturally contains isoflavones) is associated with reductions in menopause-related hot flashes†. A review of soy isoflavone studies concluded a product would help reduce hot flashes if it provided 15 mg per day of the specific isoflavone, genistein.
Menopause Health Supplement
Custom Formulated with pure genistein, microencapsulated BioResponse DIM, botanicals, and nutrients for support of normal menopausal symptoms and healthy estrogen levels in women.†
$41.30 Add to cartGeniVida® has been clinically shown to reduce hot flashes by over 50 percent†. 84 menopausal women (ages 44 to 65) who experienced 40 or more (self-reported) hot flashes per week were enrolled in a 12 week randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study and either received 30 mg of geniVida® each day or a placebo. By the end of the 12 week period, the GeniVida® genistein supplemented women reported 4.7 fewer hot flashes per day than the 7.1 hot flashes the women on the placebo reported.
Magnesium
Migraine sufferers are predominately female with women 70 perfect of migraine sufferers. Some evidence suggests hormonal migraines are caused by changing estrogen levels. Daily magnesium supplementation has been shown to be effective in preventing menstrually related migraine, especially in women who suffer premenstrual migraines.
The Institute of Medicine recommends adult women ingest 320 mg of magnesium per day. While magnesium is in many foods (the richest food sources of magnesium are nuts, legumes, dairy and some fish), it is estimated more than 60 percent of US adult women consume less than 230 mg per day of magnesium. Cooper Complete Menopause Health contains 100 mg of magnesium to augment the average magnesium received in food. (Cooper Complete Basic One Multivitamin formulations contain 200 mg magnesium.)
Bonus Content
Cooper Fitness Center Professional Trainer Angela Horner shares exercise tips for women in menopause.
