Vitamins Can Help Alleviate Some Menopause Symptoms
Whether you are experiencing severe or minor symptoms, the benefits of supplements for menopause symptoms are well proven. Vitamin supplements can help ease the nagging, and sometimes exhausting side-effects of menopause including vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and weight gain.
Menopause is an important transition time, and women can embrace their evolving bodies by providing the vitamins and supplements their changing body needs to provide hot flash remedies, vaginal estrogen therapy, and general menopause medicine. There are many supplements for menopause that can help ease the symptoms.
Starting in their 30s or 40s, women will produce less of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This stage is called perimenopause. Eventually, with the continued drop of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels, menstrual periods will stop entirely, and menopause will officially begin.
Dropping levels of the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone have wide-ranging, and often profound, effects on everything from the blood vessels to skin, hair, and even brain function. Decreased menopause hormones have been shown to increase the risk of certain diseases and conditions.
Menopause can last over fifteen years, so identifying a way to ease the symptoms is critical. As hormone levels fall, women often experience hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and changing moods to name a few. But they may miss the fact that the drop in hormones can also be putting them at risk for osteoporosis, heart disease, cancers, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis if the deficiency in hormones is not treated.1-4
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) offers menopause symptom relief and prevents disease development for many women. Hormone replacement therapy replaces the hormones that are decreasing, starting at perimenopause. HRT is the most studied, and effective form of treatment to date for hot flashes and night sweats. Scientists have yet to identify more effective perimenopause treatments than estrogen and progesterone replacement treatment to improve the profound mind-body shifts that occur during menopause.1
In addition to hormone replacement therapy, a healthful diet, regular exercise, and using menopause- focused multivitamins can all help reduce menopause symptoms significantly. The truth is, the best way to get necessary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is through a well-balanced and colorful diet, but most people’s diets have gaps.
If not consistently reaching the daily nutritional requirements, women could be missing out on the vital elements their bodies need to help lessen or alleviate everything from hot flashes to mood swings, and to protect them from cardiovascular disease, and mental declines. Multivitamins can ensure a woman is getting all of the nutrients she needs.2
Because a woman’s nutrient needs change with age, it is important that they choose supplements that are tailored to their age. But the process of deciding which vitamins and supplements to take can be overwhelming. Winona has created its own multivitamins that are specially designed to ease menopausal symptoms, and support healthy aging.
One thing that most people don’t understand is how important it is to know WHERE vitamins and supplements are coming from. Unlike prescription medications, supplements are NOT regulated by the FDA, which means that many may not really know what they are taking. Are they buying expensive vitamins that are just ‘fillers’ and lack the key ingredients they are looking for? Are the ingredients pure, and at the appropriate RDA levels? Knowing who to buy products from is critical.
Supplements For Menopause
Women over the age of 40 have to be proactive about regularly taking key vitamins and minerals. Winona provides safe, regulated vitamin supplements that women can depend on. Winona’s supplements are specially designed to ease menopausal symptoms, and support healthy aging, and include.1-4
Vitamin A: An antioxidant essential for maintaining immune function, Vitamin A plays a critical role in bone health, and may help boost overall health. It is important not to exceed RDA levels.
Vitamin C: Well-known for its crucial role in the production of collagen, Vitamin C is an essential part of the structure and appearance of the skin. It has also been shown to enhance immune response and may improve bone density and cognitive reasoning.
B Vitamins: Having enough of the B vitamins may help prevent brain fog, stroke, bone loss, depression, cardiovascular disease, dementia; all of which can begin at menopause.
B-12 is a critical vitamin that plays a role in bone health, metabolism, production of red blood cells, and DNA synthesis. If you don’t have enough B-12, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and dementia. If the deficiency is really bad, it can lead to anemia. As you age, your body’s ability to absorb B-12 from the food you eat decreases, so it is wise to add B-12 back to your diet with a multivitamin.
B-6 is critical in brain function and in the creation of the chemical “serotonin” that transmits brain signals. With menopause, serotonin levels drop. These changes can lead to low energy, mood swings, and depression that are common with menopause.
B-12 and B-6 Vitamins help with the ability to think, reason, and remember. The all too common “brain fog” menopause symptom may be reduced with these supplements.
Vitamin B-9 (folate) reduces hot flashes but should not be taken above the RDA.
Vitamin D: Low levels of vitamin D result in bone and joint pain, and fractures. We are able to make vitamin D within our own bodies. We store inactive vitamin D in our skin, and with exposure to the sun the inactive form is converted into the active form, but often we don’t get enough sun. Not only is vitamin D helpful for bone health, but it also reduces the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, asthma, allergies, and possibly breast cancer. It may be difficult to get enough Vitamin D, and since 75% of people are vitamin D deficient. It is best to take a supplement to ensure you are getting the appropriate amount in order to achieve disease- and cancer-prevention benefits.
Vitamin E: This essential nutrient is getting more and more attention for its antioxidant and anti-inflammation abilities. Vitamin E is recommended for many ailments. Research has shown that vitamin E can ease stress, reduce the risk of depression and weight gain so often associated with menopause. Vitamin E can be found in most nuts, spinach, and avocado.
Calcium: Calcium is vital for bone health and is especially important during menopause when the decrease in estrogen makes women more prone to the weakening of their bones, or osteoporosis. While the best source of calcium is food, if you’re not meeting your quota (1,000 to 1,200 mg for menopausal women) through diet, calcium supplements are important.
While there are some dietary supplements that other companies sell to reduce menopause symptoms, Winona does not suggest specific ones such as Black Cohosh due to the liver problems that can occur. Botanicals and herbs may have side effects, poor oversight, and can change how other medications work, so ask your doctor before trying.
Winona sells medically supervised prescription medications as well as non-prescription products that can help manage and alleviate many menopause symptoms. Adding vitamin supplements during menopause can help reduce symptoms associated with decreased hormone levels and improve overall health. Winona recommends never exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for any vitamins. Over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs may interact with vitamins. If you take medications, ask your doctor about potential interactions before taking vitamins.
