Key nutrients to naturally support the menopausal transition

Food focus for your best menopause

I could quickly summarise this as: eat food from a farm, not a factory; eat the rainbow; eat a diverse diet, mainly plant-based. But that wouldn’t give you any specific to work with. Within the ‘farm, rainbow, diverse, plant-based’ headline, there are some key nutrients that (perhaps) do us more favours than others as women in peri/menopause.

Magnesium

Magnesium is required for literally hundreds of different reactions in the body & unfortunately many of us don’t eat enough of the food that contain it – leafy green veg, nuts & seeds, legumes, avocados.

For menopausal women ‘nature’s sedative’ helps us maintain a balanced stress response, & as stress is huge in driving hot flushes, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, etc, making sure that we’re eating plenty of these magnesium-rich foods is supportive of wellbeing.

Magnesium is, of course, also very important for bone health, and can improve symptoms of constipation, headaches & muscle cramps – all common in menopause.

B Vitamins

B6 is found in turkey, chicken, grass-fed beef, avocados, seeds & legumes and low levels may be a factor in peri/menopausal mood swings, low mood, breast pain & heavy period flow. B6 has a role in the production of ‘happy’ neurotransmitters like serotonin & dopamine. Along with other B vits it is also needed in clearance of the swings in oestrogen levels that can drive so many peri/meno symptoms. Low B vits levels affect energy production, brain function and emotional resilience. If you don’t eat red meat, B12 levels may need to be supplemented. Vegans should DEFINITELY supplement B12.

Further B6, B12 & folate all have specific roles in maintenance of cardiovascular health where risks can rise post-menopause.

Vitamin C

Antioxidant, therefore helping prevent cell damage; required for collagen production; & hoovered up by the adrenals in stressful episodes. The adrenals become an important site of sex hormone production post-menopause, so supporting them, supports us! Most fruits, tomatoes, peppers & green veg are fab sources.