Menopause: Nutritional and Lifestyle Support

INTRODUCTION

Did you know that menopause is experienced by over 1.5 million women each year?¹ Often, women experience some combination of joint pain, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido, vaginal dryness, and vasomotor (i.e., hot flashes) symptoms.^1(1,2) If that was not enough, menopause is also associated with osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.²

Considering all of these challenging symptoms, let’s dig in a little more about what menopause is, and more importantly, interventions that you can take to support your health and well-being throughout your journey 🙂

WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?

Menopause is considered a point in your life where you have gone 12 months in a row, without a menstrual period.³ It is also a natural process, and happens when your ovaries stop producing hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.³ Keep reading!

MORE ON ESTROGEN

Estrogen is a term representing a group of steroid hormones produced mainly in the ovaries (estradiol is a potent form of estrogen used in hormone replacement therapy), and is necessary for producing sexual characteristics of females.⁴ Estrogen is a messenger “telling” your cells to conduct certain functions surrounding your reproductive and sexual health.⁵ Estrogen influences puberty, your menstrual cycle, ovulation, pregnancy, and fertility, just to name a few.⁵

Did you know estrogen also influences brain function, skin/nail health, blood flow, bone/muscle mass, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels?⁵ Well now you do, and you might be starting to see why it is important to make sure your levels are worth looking into!

 

MORE ON PROGESTERONE

Progesterone is a hormone primarily produced in the ovaries, and is mostly known for its affects upon the menstrual cycle, and reproduction.⁶ Progesterone is also an “ingredient” in the production of other hormones like cortisol, testosterone, estradiol (a type of estrogen), and aldosterone (regulates blood pressure).^6,7

Have a look at the image below:

COMPLICATIONS OF MENOPAUSE

Considering how important estrogen and progesterone are to maintaining your health, you could imagine that when your body stops producing these hormones, changes in your body will start sprouting up. Erdelyi et al.² stated that low estrogen:

• decreases energy metabolism
• decreases insulin sensitivity
• increases hunger
• is implicated with increased fat mass
• is implicated with free radical production
• is implicated with increased chronic systemic inflammation
• is involved in increased vascular damage

Moreover, Erdelyi et al.²⁽²⁾ noted that these changes drive the development of:

• cardiovascular disease
• tumors
• type 2 diabetes
• osteoporosis

THANKS FOR THE AWEFUL NEWS. WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?

The good news is that many of these problems during menopause can be modified with nutritional and lifestyle changes! Erdelyi et al.²⁽³⁾ stated that mounting evidence suggests that smoking and alcohol consumption negatively impact menopausal symptoms… I think you already know those however! Perhaps you didn’t realize that inadequate sleep, inactivity, and poor dietary choices worsened menopausal symptoms?

SOLUTIONS!

Did you know that a healthy diet (I’ll help you figure out what healthy is) helps take the edge off of menopausal symptoms? Targeted nutrition also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with menopause, mentioned in earlier sections above (i.e., cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, osteoporosis).²⁽³⁾ Let’s have a look!

1. Increase Unprocessed Food: increasing foods such as vegetables, healthy oils (i.e., olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil), and fruits have been shown to reduce fat mass and visceral fat.²⁽³⁾ This is likely due to the high fiber/fat content (creates fullness), and regulation of blood sugar (helps control sharp blood sugar drops, which can drive hunger). These foods are also very rich in micronutrients

If you are wondering more about the dangers of processed food, read this article as a reminder of why you should avoid them:

Article Link: Processed Foods, Cardiovascular Disease, and Insulin Resistance

2. Increasing Protein: getting more protein on your plate at each meal is a clever way of helping keep you full. It is often underutilized and most people are not getting enough to begin with. Erdelyi et al.²⁽⁵⁾ stated that getting up to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight throughout each day is optimal. Not only does optimal protein consumption help regulate your appetite and blood sugar levels, they also help you maintain muscle mass and strength.²⁽⁵⁾

Here is an article on the many reasons that protein is critical for health: Essential Amino Acids and Why They Matter

3. Increasing Fluid Intake: optimal daily hydration provides several benefits to you that you might not even be aware of! Consistent intake of fluids like water, tea, coffee, NOT sugary drinks… helps regulate your temperature (think hot flashes), remove toxins from your body, regulate bowel movements, and transport nutrients throughout your body.²⁽⁵⁾ Low estrogen and low progesterone negatively impact fluid and electrolyte levels, so you need to compensate for this change. Shoot for about 30 ml/kg of bodyweight each day.²⁽⁵⁾

Article Link: Mild Chronic Dehydration and Implications

4. Increase Healthy Fats: when estradiol decreases during menopause, dyslipidemia (“bad cholesterol”) increases.²⁽⁶⁾ This is because optimal levels of estradiol help maintain cholesterol (HDL, LDL, triglycerides) levels, blood vessel elasticity (helps maintain blood flow and blood pressure to organs), while controlling inflammation.²⁽⁶⁾ Consider increasing your polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) intake (see image above) and sneak these in your meals each day. You might even add PUFAs through supplementation, like fish oil!

Article Link: Metabolic Syndrome, Low-Density Lipoproteins and Fish Oil

5. Increase Vegetable/Fiber Intake: consumption of fiber has several benefits to include management of hot flashes.⁸ Optimal fiber intake also helps create sensations of satiety (fullness) just like optimal protein intake.²⁽⁸⁾ The best choices of fiber come from vegetables that are low on the glycemic index (see image above). If you are experiencing insulin resistance, these particular non-starchy carbs will work around that problem! Consuming up to 45 grams of fiber a day will help support regularity, optimal bodyweight, heart health, intestinal function, and type 2 diabetes!²⁽⁸⁾ Shoot for at least 2.5 cups of vegetables (non-starchy if you have insulin resistance) throughout the day!¹⁰

Article Link: Constipation and Benefits of Fiber

6. Increase Vitamin D3: this is important because research has linked vitamin D deficiency with metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, immune system disorders, cancer, and osteoporisis.^2(11),9Additionally, vitamin D deficiency has been found amongst 50-89% of menopausal women.⁹⁽²⁾ Aim to eat foods rich in vitamin D (see image above) and consider supplementing with vitamin D3. At least 2000 IU/day is recommended (minimum), and I would suggest getting a vitamin D blood test 3 months after supplementation.²⁽¹⁰⁾ That way, you can make sure you get optimal blood levels.

 Article Link: Determining Optimal Vitamin D Levels

Article Link: Vitamin D: Types, Utility, Screening, and Optimal Dosing

7. Eat Foods Rich in Vitamin C: considering osteoporosis is a risk factor of menopause, maximizing bone formation (a combination of calcium rich foods, optimal vitamin D levels, AND vitamin C) is critical.²⁽²¹⁾ The good news, just like calcium, is that vitamin C levels can be achieved by eating lots of vegetables and some fruit (go easy on fruit if you have insulin resistance).²⁽¹¹⁾

Article Link: Vitamin C Bioavailability After Food Preparation/Processing

8. Increase B-Vitamin Intake: remember that brain fog, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis are associated with menopause.²⁽¹¹⁾ B vitamins help you break down foods (i.e., carbohydrates, fats, proteins) into energy.²⁽¹¹⁾ They also help control levels of homocysteine; an amino acid that can drive oxidative stress, inflammation, damage of blood vessels, ultimately causing cardiovascular disease.¹¹ High homocysteine levels are associated with bone loss, and B vitamins (especially B6, B9, and B12) are instrumental in keeping homocysteine at bay.¹² Eat foods rich in B vitamins each day!

Article Link: Ischemic Heart Disease, Blood Panels, and Nutritional Interventions

9. Consume Foods Rich in Probiotics: menopause is often associated with digestive complaints among females.²⁽¹²⁾ When the gut has an imbalance of microbes, circulating estrogen levels can drop (the gut makes an enzyme that helps estrogen get reabsorbed into the blood).¹³ Not only is there a loss of estrogen; a well-balanced microbiome helps produce vitamins such as vitamin B9 (folate), B12 (methylcobalamin), B2 (riboflavin), and vitamin K.¹³⁽⁸³⁾ Gut microbes also promote the maturation of immune cells (contributing to immune function), while inhibiting the effects of carcinogens and toxins.¹⁴ So you can see that it is in your interest to make sure your digestive system is working optimally!

Article Link: Probiotics: What They Are, and Why You Might Need Them

10. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene: up to 56% of menopausal women have self-reported sleep difficulties.²⁽¹²⁾ Did you know that sleeping less than 5 hours a day places you at the greatest risk of developing cardiovascular disease? Poor sleep quality and duration also contributes to digestive disorders, energy production dysregulation (metabolism), increased appetite, as well as diabetes and weight gain.²⁽¹²⁾

To learn more, see the infographic above, and have a look at the articles below which explore cannabis, amber glasses, and other simple interventions to help you get a great sleep each night!

Article Link: Menopause and Sleep Disturbances: Could Cannabis Help?
Article Link: Improving Sleep Quality With Amber Glasses
Article Link: Improving Sleep Quality and Duration

CONCLUSIONS

So there you have it. To keep it simple, a quick summary is below:

• Reduce processed foods
• Increase protein
• Increase fluid intake
• Increase healthy fats
• Increase vegetable/fiber intake
• Increase vitamin D3 intake
• Increase vitamin C intake
• Increase B vitamins
• Consume more probiotics
• Improve sleep duration and sleep quality

Menopause affects over 1.5 million women each year, causing a combination of joint pain, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido, vaginal dryness, and vasomotor (i.e., hot flashes) symptoms. However, taking small and gentle steps, as outlined above, should help reduce your symptoms. Reclaim your health, and peace of mind, now 🙂

References

1. Santoro N, Epperson CN, Mathews SB. Menopausal symptoms and their Management.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2015;44(3):497-515. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2015.05.001.
2. Erdélyi A, Pálfi E, Tűű L, et al. The importance of nutrition in menopause and perimenopause-A review.Nutrients. 2023;16(1):1-21. doi:10.3390/nu16010027.
3. Cleveland Clinic Website. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause. Updated June 24, 2024. Accessed July 28, 2025.
4. Delgado BJ, Lopez-Ojeda W. Estrogen. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538260/. Updated June 26, 2023. Accessed July 28, 2025.
5. Cleveland Clinic Website. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22353-estrogen. Updated February 8, 2022. Accessed July 30, 2025.
6. Nagy B, Szekeres-Barthó J, Kovács GL, et al. Key to life: Physiological role and clinical implications of progesterone.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(20):11039. doi:10.3390/ijms222011039.
7. Scott JH, Menouar MA, Dunn RJ. Physiology, Aldosterone. Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470339/. Updated May 1, 2023. Accessed July 30, 2025.
8. Barnard ND, Kahleova H, Holtz DN, et al. A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial.Menopause. 2023;30(1):80-87. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002080.
9. Mei Z, Hu H, Zou Y, Li D. The role of vitamin D in menopausal women’s health.Front Physiol. 2023;14:1-7. doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1211896.
10. American Heart Association Website. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/add-color/fruits-and-vegetables-serving-sizes. Updated September 20, 2024. Accessed August 12, 2025.
11. Tymoczko JL, Berg JM, Stryer L. Biochemistry: A Short Course. 3^rd ed. New York, NY: Freeman and Company; 2015.
12. Dai Z, Koh WP. B-vitamins and bone health–a review of the current evidence.Nutrients. 2015;7(5):3322-3346. doi:10.3390/nu7053322.
13. Barrea L, Verde L, Auriemma RS, et al. Probiotics and Prebiotics: Any Role in Menopause-Related Diseases?Curr Nutr Rep. 2023;12(1):83-97. doi:10.1007/s13668-023-00462-3.
14. Thursby E, Juge N. Introduction to the human gut microbiota.Biochem J. 2017;474(11):1823-1836. doi:10.1042/BCJ20160510.