Natural Supplements for Perimenopause Symptoms

Are you on the wild ride that is perimenopause? 

Yep, oh boy, we hear ya! 

It can really help to remember that perimenopause is temporary and won’t last forever.  We absolutely promise you!

Perimenopause: A Quick Refresher (or Quick Fact if You're New to All This Peri Lark)

Peri is the lead up to menopause (menopause is a point in time at which you've arrived when you haven't had a period for 12 months).

Perimenopause can see hormone levels of progesterone and estrogen fluctuate wildly as our ovaries wind down.  It's these changes in our hormone levels that cause symptoms.  

Perimenopause can vary a great deal in length for each woman.  Anything from 2-12 years but on average is between 4-6 years.  The average age to reach menopause is 51 years of age. So most women hit peri (transition years) in their 40’s.

Deep breaths! 

It's okay.  Perimenopause is completely normal, and a natural and inevitable part of a woman's life. The difference in your experience of it is having a focus on ways to manage your symptoms. 

Learn more about the stages of perimenopause here.

As we mentioned,  you've reached menopause when you haven’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 months and your Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) blood level is elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher.

Levels and types of symptoms can vary alot between women, that’s why treatment plans are so individual - one size definitely doesn’t fit all so it's important to pay close attention to the signs your body is sending you.

About 1 in 4 women will have severe perimenopause symptoms and about 75% of us will have some perimenopause symptoms and some of us will glide through without any disruptions at all (not fair crying emoji!).

You might start with natural therapies and the low hanging fruit of lifestyle changes first.  You could well find that might be enough to reduce your symptoms or certainly for them to be manageable.

Some of us might go on to integrate natural with conventional therapies such as bioidentical hormones. 

We recommend a good place to start is with daily magnesium.

Magnesium

One key mineral that helps everyone is Magnesium.

Magnesium is an essential mineral, needed for optimal metabolic function. It is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions within our bodies. We have continuous chemical processes going on inside our bodies that keep us alive and functioning.

Some of the processes Magnesium is involved in:

• Energy production
• Regulates blood sugar 
• Synthesis of essential biomolecules.  Biomolecules regulate the proper growth and development of a human body.
• Playing a structural role in bone, cell membranes and chromosomes.
• Cell signalling
• Cell migration.

As we lose the calming effects of progesterone, we lose the abilities to deal with stress, we need nutrients that support the calming neurotransmitter GABA which Magnesium does by increasing our Gaba levels. The best form of magnesium for peri is Magnesium Glycinate as it’s the most soothing to our nervous system. The therapeutic daily dosage is 300mg. 

You can find Magnesium Glycinate in our Peri Chai Latte here.

Women in perimenopause and menopause are commonly deficient in Magnesium. The best way is to try a magnesium supplement and see how your body responds.  Give ours a go - peri women just like you are loving the effects.

Magnesium is great to reduce peri symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety, hot flashes, bad sleep, migraines and improving glucose and insulin metabolism.  A study also found that Magnesium normalised the actions of different hormones (mainly progesterone) on the central nervous system.

You could also try…

Adaptogen Herbs

Adaptogens are a class of natural substances that stimulate the body's resistance to physical, environmental, and emotional stressors:

• Schizandra Berry - helps with the perimenopausal symptoms of hot flashes, sweating and heart palpitations. It overall helps with supporting liver function, increasing energy and reducing inflammation.

• Sage - one of the best herbs for peri. It has been traditionally used to treat sweating, hot flushes, as well as a general peri tonic.

• Hops - contains plant estrogens that act similar to the hormone estrogen and can be helpful in alleviating peri symptoms. It is also effective in treating anxiety and insomnia.

• Pomegranate - is useful in treating hot flashes, inflammation and estrogen regulation.

Soothe your Gut

Your gut is a magical creature that is CORE to your health and wellbeing. With the decline of estrogen it reduces the integrity of our microbiome which can reduce our metabolism and increase peri symptoms. It’s important to look after gut health through diet and supplements to help reduce peri symptoms.

Learn more here about how to look after gut health in perimenopause.

Two nutrients that help support soothing your gut in peri are…

Slippery Elm - Slippery elm contains soluble fibre which is a gooey substance known as mucilage. When ingested this gooey substance provides a nourishing and soothing lining to the walls of the digestive tract and soothes the whole digestive system which aids in the relief of diarrhea, constipation, reflux, indigestion, bloating and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). It is also a prebiotics food which our good bacteria in our gut likes as a food source.

Saccharomyces Boulardii - is a probiotic, which populates good bacteria in our gut and helps reduce inflammation which is helpful in perimenopause as we are in a pro-inflammatory state.

Include Herbs, spices and honey in your diet that help fight inflammation…

Turmeric - Turmeric reduces inflammation so with our peri bodies in a pro-inflammatory state, this is a key factor to manage any symptoms associated with inflammation. Read more on the powers of turmeric here.

Ginger - from the same family as Turmeric contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds.

Cinnamon - has powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Manuka Honey - is known for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

Black Pepper - The active compound in black pepper is piperine which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and also helps Turmeric do its wonderful thing.

Hot Tip: we've included all of these ingredients in our Peri Chai Latte. Get it here.

In Wrapping Up: Natural Supplements for Perimenopause Symptoms

If you are looking for ways to reduce your perimenopausal symptoms start with Magnesium Glycinate 300mg daily (which you will find in two daily serves of our Peri Chai Latte).

Try a mix of adaptation herbs as a peri tonic and include anti-inflammatory herbs and spices in your daily diet. See how much that reduces your symptoms. Making journal notes about how you're feeling is super helpful so you can reflect on how you were feeling previously.

Also lifestyle will go a long way in reducing peri symptoms. Key ones would be daily movement, staying hydrated, scheduled rest time, reducing or no alcohol, diet high in inflammatory foods.

Remember natural therapies might be enough for you or you might need a combination of natural and conventional.  Try to keep an open mind, learn to accept your physical changes and find ways to support your body as she moves through these years so she can back you up later down the track.

We'd love to hear from you! Have you found something that works for you? Share in the comments below xx