What is the Best Natural Remedy for Menopause?

Menopause is a normal biological process for women, but living with menopausal symptoms can make life unbearable at times. For women experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and other signs of menopause, finding an effective menopausal treatment is a must.

Most women don't want just any treatment, but a natural remedy for menopause that's safe and effective. While many natural remedies work over time, the best natural remedy is hormone therapy.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Menopause happens after a woman stops menstruating. The ovaries produce progesterone and estrogen, which controls menstruation and ovulation. When the ovaries stop releasing eggs due to low levels of the sex hormones, menopause begins. One possible treatment is to replace the missing hormones with natural ones. In this case, estrogen creams and various DHEA products can help.

Bioidentical hormone replacement Therapy (BHRT) is a natural treatment for relieving menopausal symptoms. BHRT is customized medicine made up of the sex hormones progesterone and estrogen.

All of the ingredients are natural and mimic the exact hormones in your body. Some argue this isn't a natural menopausal treatment because the hormones are manufactured, but others claim the opposite. Finding menopausal relief with BHRT makes all the difference for women battling menopause. While there are some possible side effects to bioidentical hormone therapy, women report it is their number one remedy for menopause symptoms.

Common Menopause Symptoms 

Menopause affects every woman differently, but there are some common pre and postmenopausal symptoms.

• Unexplained weight gain
• Vaginal dryness
• Low sex drive
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Missed or irregular periods
• Dry skin
• Hot flashes
• Sleep problems
• Chills
• Thinning hair

Other Natural Remedies

For those who want a completely natural method to treat menopause, some of these solutions could help you provide relief.

Eat foods high in calcium and vitamin D

Research shows that a healthy diet of foods rich in calcium and vitamin D helps menopausal women manage hot flashes and night sweats. Foods that have high concentrations of calcium and vitamin D include:

• Fortified dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt)
• Poppy, sesame, and chia seeds
• Sardines, tuna, and salmon
• Beans and lentils
• Almonds
• Whey protein
• Some leafy greens

Herbal Remedies

Supplementing with natural herbs like black cohosh, St John's Wort or Evening Primrose Oil might be a remedy for hot flashes. In particular, black cohosh has been used for years by Native Americans to treat menopause and to ease childbirth.  It's a perennial herb in the buttercup family that battles hormone changes. While herbs for menopause haven't been studied extensively, anecdotal evidence suggests it might be a complementary and alternative medicine.

Exercise Regularly

Maintaining a regular exercise regimen is beneficial for anyone, but when one is experiencing hot flash symptoms, breaking a sweat could help. While not a lot of research connected with exercise and menopause has been done yet, scientists do know that exercise has positive benefits on mental health. Aerobic exercise helps release endorphins that uplift one’s mood and encourages a more positive outlook on life.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

While gaining weight is a sign of menopause, staying at a healthy weight, provides a more positive outlook and relieves menopausal symptoms. When you're overweight other problems may occur too like diabetes, swollen feet and muscles, and other weight-related issues. One study showed that women who lost 10% of their body fat over one year were more likely to eliminate or get rid of hot flashes and night sweats.

Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can relieve menopausal symptoms. Not only that but consuming a high number of fruits and vegetables could lead to weight loss. And as mentioned above weight loss also helps to relieve hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms. When you add healthy recipes with fruits and vegetables, you naturally reduce unhealthy options like fried foods.

Avoid Trigger Foods

Sometimes your "happy" food might be the very ingredient that triggers menopausal symptoms. Common triggers include caffeine, alcohol, fast food, and sugary desserts. One way to determine if it's a trigger food is to keep a daily food diary to record what you've eaten and how it makes you feel.

Drink Plenty of Water

On average people should drink eight glasses of water per day. Each glass should have at least eight ounces of water. Some like to think of it as the 8 x 8 water rule. Sometimes when you feel hungry, you are actually thirsty. Drinking water helps you maintain a healthy weight, fights bloating, provides hydration, and helps relieves uncomfortable menopausal symptoms. Drinking plenty of water is the smart choice.

Avoid Processed Food

Most processed food contains ingredients high in fats and sugars. The more your food is touched and prepared, the more unhealthy it may be for your body. Maintaining a diet that includes lean proteins, fruits and vegetable and less food high in fat, will help reduce severe hot flashes for postmenopausal women, among other symptoms.

Consume Protein-Rich Foods

Protein-rich foods help build muscles. Muscle loss is a part of aging, but women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Foods rich in lean proteins like fish, chicken, and eggs help women maintain fight bone loss and keep a healthy weight too. When you’re overweight menopausal symptoms can be stronger so eating protein-rich foods helps women build muscle and feel stronger, while resulting in lessened menopausal symptoms.

Cut Back on Caffeine and Alcohol

When you’re feeling bad, it’s tempting to drink more caffeine or alcohol, but doing so might increase menopausal symptoms. Both chemicals can cause hormonal imbalances leaving the body feeling depleted.

Bottomline

Menopause is a natural condition for all women at a certain age. Finding relief while making the transition is critical. The best natural remedy for menopause might be bioidentical hormone therapy for some and for others losing weight and eating healthy might be the answer. Or perhaps it's an herbal therapy that works. Regardless of treatment choice, menopause will pass, and the next exciting chapter of your life will begin.

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Daley, A. J., Thomas, A., Roalfe, A. K., Stokes-Lampard, H., Coleman, S., Rees, M., . . .   

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