Many scientists believe that it is a myth that you can get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat, even if it is a well-balanced diet.
Modern intensive farming methods have changed the nutritional content of our basic foods, and over the past 20 years we have increased the amount of highly processed and refined foods consumed. Both facts have led to a reduction in the amount of essential nutrients we absorb from our diet. We are now especially short of certain minerals, vitamins and omega 3 essential fatty acids. We also consume high levels of white carbohydrate, sugar, bad fats and salt.
Many experts believe that this change in our nutrition has had a significant effect on our health and could be a reason for the increasing levels in heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. This could also be a reason behind why women experience more difficult menopausal symptoms today.
Choosing a supplement to improve your nutrition is tricky although not impossible.
Which supplement should I take? - We suggest keeping it simple, see below.
Which brand should I buy? - There is a wide variation in the quality of supplements available and this affects how much benefit they will give you. We encourage you to become label and brand aware - find out which brands are the top quality ones and what each supplement contains.
Multivitamin and mineral supplements
The vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy body work together, most of them depending on each other to act efficiently. Therefore the best way to structure a supplement programme is to take a good all-round multivitamin and mineral, specifically designed for the menopause, as a foundation.
We have two multivitamins in our shop:
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FEMA 45+ produced by Lamberts, recommended by Maryon Stewart of the Natural Health Advisory Service (NHAS), has been formulated specifically for women during and after the menopause. The formula provides 28 nutrients at appropriate levels, including the trace minerals and plenty of antioxidants. It contains good levels of magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamins D and K to reflect the current thinking on bone health. Additionally the B vitamins, which are renowned for energy, are included in significant amounts. Take up to two tablets a day. Do not take if pregnant or breast feeding.
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We also supply The Natural Health Practice's Menoplus which has been formulated by Dr Marilyn Glenville, Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine and a registered nutritionist. Menoplus contains good levels of antioxidants, B vitamins, calcium, digestive enzymes for maximum absorption, with all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to help you through the menopause and support good bone health. Each ingredient is at the highest effective dose to help achieve the best results - take up to 3 tablets a day.
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
We also suggest a high quality Omega 3 supplement such as Cod Liver Oil (as long as you are not taking Warfarin) or Flaxseed Oil. Omega 3 is not made by our bodies and so is called an 'essential fatty acid'. It has to be obtained from your food or supplements. Omega 3 supplements are important as Omega 3 is the hardest 'good fat' to get through your diet. It also suppresses inflammation which causes many diseases. On the other hand, Omega 6 is found in many cooking oils and foods which leads to an imbalance of Omega 6 to 3 in most people. Omega 9 can be made in our bodies and is the most naturally abundant fatty acid in our diets. The important point is to get the right balance of Omega 3, 6 and 9 which means increasing your Omega 3 intake.
The best way to increase your intake of Omega 3 is by taking fish oil supplements. We suggest you ask the following questions to get a good quality product:
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How much active Omega 3 is there in the supplement? Look at the label to see how much EPA (minimum 140mg) and DHA (minimum 110mg) is included. If the levels aren't shown then it probably isn't a good quality supplement.
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How was the fish oil supplement produced? Fish oils are sourced from deep-water fish living in the least polluted waters on earth, these oily fish can contain high levels of toxic chemicals all of which must be removed to make the supplement. Good quality fish oil supplements are produced by highly advanced Omega-3 extraction and distillation processes, which efficiently remove toxins and impurities as well as maintaining stability and freshness.
We supply Lamberts Pure Fish Oil, which is favoured by professional nutritionalists and has high potency levels of Omega 3. It has been produced through a five-stage purification process.
Alternatively, you could try Lamberts Flax Seed Oil which gives 500mg of Alpha-Linolenic acid, which is the source of the EPA and DHA mentioned above.
Phytoestrogen supplements
Supplements containing isoflavones (a type of phytoestrogen), extracted from soya and red clover, are readily available although they are relatively new on the market. Some studies show that they may be helpful for hot flushes, while others show no positive improvement. Nobody knows the long-term effect of taking them but we do know that, when the active part of a herb is made into a pharmaceutical drug, it often produces unwanted side-effects, which aren't experienced when taking the complete herb.
At Menopause Support we advise caution when taking any supplement containing phytoestrogen/isoflavones. We suggest you take them for a maximum of six months and at the same time make changes to your diet to include naturally occurring, non-concentrated phytoestrogens, such as fermented soya products like Tofu and Miso. We believe taking phytoestrogens in your diet in this form is much better and a lower risk way of helping yourself through your menopause.
Further supplements for menopause symptoms
There are several supplements that are thought might improve menopause symptoms although the evidence for them is limited at present. If you are interested in this approach we recommend that you see a nutritionally qualified health professional - see Registering Bodies or alternatively you might like Dr Marilyn Glenville's book - The New Natural Alternatives to HRT in which she recommends which minerals and vitamins might help a specific symptom.