What is perimenopause and menopause?
Menopause is a natural transitional part of life that typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55. It is triggered by a decline in the production of oestrogen from the ovaries, eventually leading to the cessation of menstruation.
Perimenopause, or “menopause transition” is the time when the ovaries start to produce less oestrogen and physiological changes first become noticeable. This typically starts on average 3-4 years before the menopause – although every woman is different.
Menopause occurs when there has been a permanent cessation of menstruation for 12 months, and during this time, the ovaries no longer release eggs and oestrogen production slows drastically.
For many women, this natural stage in life can become a time of physical and emotional discomfort, and symptoms can range from uncomfortable or irritating, to debilitating in everyday life. Common symptoms often include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, vaginal dryness, joint pain and weight gain.
Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural part of every woman’s health journey. The good news is that consuming a nutrient dense diet and optimising the intake of specific nutrients, as well as implementing some lifestyle changes can help significantly in supporting a healthy menopause transition, maintaining overall health through menopause and beyond, as well as making a real difference to how you feel.
What vitamins can help with menopause?
Here at Cytoplan, we offer the best natural and effective supplements to support women through the menopause transition. We’ve highlighted two key ones below.
Menopause Support supplement
Our phyto-oestrogen product provides a source of natural soy isoflavones, made from whole soy germ, which means that as well as the isoflavones, this natural menopause supplement provides 40 additional health-supporting nutrients.
Bone Support
Oestrogen plays a role in maintaining healthy bone density, so it is important to provide the correct nutrition to support bone health before, during and after the menopause.
Appropriate levels of calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, vitamin D, boron and antioxidants are needed to support bone health. You can find these natural nutrients in our synergistic and all-encompassing bone support supplement.
Are there natural oestrogen supplements I can take for the menopause?
The hormone oestrogen serves to support a number of areas of health and wellness throughout a woman’s life; from promoting growth and development during puberty, regulating the menstrual cycle, to supporting healthy bone density, cardiovascular health and cognitive function.
The drop in oestrogen as a woman reaches menopause, as well as being at the centre of common menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, can also increase the risk of chronic health conditions.
Isoflavones are phytonutrients abundant in soybeans, and are considered to be phyto-oestrogens, which means they elicit a gentle oestrogenic effect in the body and have the ability to help attenuate the strong hormonal fluctuations that often occur during menopause transition, as well as providing a protective influence against longer-term conditions.
Cytoplan’s natural phyto-oestrogen supplement, Menopause Support, is made from whole soy germ, so provides not only isoflavones, but also 40 additional health supportive nutrients, in a wholefood, bioeffective form.
What supplements should I take now I am post-menopause?
Oestrogen plays a protective role in a number of areas of health – so following the drop in oestrogen after menopause, it is advisable to pay attention to the following:
- Healthy bone density - oestrogen supports bone health, so you should provide the correct nutrition - calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, vitamin D, boron and antioxidants before, during and after the menopause.
- Joint health - oestrogen has a protective role for the joints by reducing inflammation, supporting hydration and lubrication of the joints and promoting the repair and regeneration of the cartilage, therefore following menopause, supplements to support cartilage, such as type II collagen, glucosamine and MSM could be helpful.
- Heart health - oestrogen supports blood vessel health, blood lipid balance and modulates inflammation, so providing cardioprotective nutrients such as CoQ10 and Omega 3 fatty acids, as well as a synergistic, wholefood multivitamin with excellent levels of antioxidant nutrients, could be protective after the menopause.
- Vaginal dryness - oestrogen helps to maintain elasticity and moisture in the urogenital area, so vaginal dryness and pain are common symptoms after the menopause. The unique mix of fatty acids and other phytonutrients in Sea Buckthorn oil has demonstrated a supportive role in this area.
