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These are the best menopause supplements for women over 40, highlighting pros and cons of each.
Hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, moodiness, sleeplessness, bloating, low sex drive and ugh…vaginal dryness. Welcome to menopause (yay!)
Many women feel like their ‘glory days’ are over the moment menopause hits. Thankfully, that’s not true.
There are several options that women can turn to for relief from the hellish symptoms.
Most menopausal symptoms result from a rapid decline in the hormone estrogen. HRT reintroduces estrogen through pills or topical applications.
But here’s what doctors won’t tell you – HRT is expensive and it is not covered by many insurance plans. Studies also show1,2 HRT increases risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer.
Doctors may prescribe medications for certain symptoms such as depression, hot-flashes, restlessness, anxiety, and osteoporosis.
For example, doctors may prescribe antidepressants, veozah for hot flashes, and Benzodiazepine to tackle restlessness.
But pharmaceuticals come with their own side-effects and risks and, as the saying goes, sometimes “the treatment is worse than the symptoms.”
Several all-natural supplements are available to get you looking and feeling your post 40 best. Taking the right supplement daily can support weight management, decrease hot flashes, aid sleep, improve mood, and support healthy bones — naturally.
Our team independently reviewed 29 menopause relief brands using data from independent consumer testing laboratories, Labdoor and ConsumerLab, combined with our internal ratings system to determine the top 5 menopause supplements for women over 40.
We discovered there’s only ONE thing that makes or ‘breaks’ a menopause supplement – its blend of ingredients.
Here are some popular ingredients in menopause supplements & we’ll tell you which are the ‘must-haves’ and which you should avoid.
More than half of the roughly 69 trillion cells in your body are microbial3. Tiny living organisms populate your entire body but are especially prevalent in the gut, vagina, colon, and gastrointestinal tract. Microbial cells regulate and support nearly every vital function including vaginal health, weight management, mood, blood pressure (hot flashes), and bone density.
The bad news? Hormonal imbalance during menopause can cause harmful bacteria overgrowth leading to increased frequency and intensity of hot flashes, bloating, joint pain and weight gain.
Seeding your microbiome with high doses of healthy microorganisms restores balance and improves overall health. When you restore cell function, symptoms lessen. You look and feel better because you are literally “healthier.”
Soy has mild estrogenic effects. A systematic review of 19 clinical trials showed soy reduced the severity of hot flashes 11%-26%.4
Another study found that while soy was beneficial to hot flashes, time to experience benefits ranged from several weeks to months5.
Notably, reviewers of the systematic clinical trial review are affiliated with the Soy Nutrition Institute and could have vested interest. Soy may help with hot flashes but doesn’t seem to have any effect on other menopausal symptoms like weight gain and reduced bone density.
Known as the “Miracle Tree,” and largely unknown in the west, the moringa tree is the most nutrient-dense food on the planet. Moringa leaf contains a host of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and micronutrients. Besides powerful antioxidant effects and improving cellular function, moringa leaf boosts energy and metabolism by lowering blood glucose levels6. Moringa leaf is especially effective at combating menopausal weight gain and promoting stable moods.
Two large clinical studies confirm moringa leaf’s weight loss benefits. One 8 week study found subjects taking a combination of moringa, turmeric, and curry lost 6.4 pounds compared with the placebo group7. Another study reported weight loss of 9.9 pounds compared with the placebo group8. Moringa leaf has also shown promise in reducing hot flashes and improving sleep9.
Black Cohosh is a traditional medicine with a long history of use among Native Americans and European settlers for treating menstrual irregularities, musculoskeletal pain, and women’s reproductive issues. And although it has been widely studied for menopause relief over 70 years, no studies ever reported a conclusive mechanism of action10.
One study of 351, 45-55 year old women reported black cohosh had no effect on reducing hot flashes or night sweats compared with the placebo group. In fact, after 12 months, women taking a black cohosh multibotanical formula with soy foods reported a significant increase in symptom intensity10.
Simply put: Black Cohosh may not be as effective in cooling hot flashes as advertised.
Known as the “Female Ginseng,” dong quai is a Chinese traditional medicine used for thousands of years for treating women’s health issues.
Clinical studies are mixed with no conclusive outcomes. One study observed no statistically significant reduction in hot flashes11. Another reported a 73% decrease in hot flash symptoms at three months. Mount Sinai medical center warns women with bloating, digestive problems, or with higher risk of cancer should avoid dong quai. May cause rashes and women on blood thinners or hormone therapies should avoid dong quai.
Vitamins and minerals are beneficial in maintaining health. The best source of vitamins and minerals is a healthy diet. However, it’s important to note that some of the vitamins and minerals beneficial to women over 4012 are difficult to get through diet. These include vitamin D, omega-3, vitamin K, magnesium, vitamin B2, B6, B12, and iodine.
Vitamins and minerals maintain bone density, prevent thinning hair, boost cognition, blood flow, immunity, and metabolism. Magnesium is especially effective at reducing the severity of hot flashes.
As supplements can be sold without approval by FDA, reliable supplement manufacturers get third-party certifications to distinguish their products as trustworthy. These certifications verify the ingredients and quantities claimed on the product label, and that the product meets stringent manufacturing and performance standards. Established certifications to look out for include GMP, USP, NSF, Certified Organic, Non-GMO certified, etc.
Supplements that can’t be absorbed by the body are essentially ineffective. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of this, allowing manufacturers to get away with cheaply-made supplements with low bioavailability. Your selection process should consider supplements with ingredients that enhance absorption. Also, look for high-quality capsules that break down at the right time for nutrients to be fully absorbed.
Clinical trials help substantiate the efficacy of ingredients through proper tests. Look for a supplement with clinically-tested ingredients for real benefits, and avoid those based on anecdotal evidence. Even better if there are multiple studies backing the product. We based our top 5 menopause supplements on clinically studied ingredients supported by a solid body of evidence.
Sadly, according to the New York Times,13 one in four products sold on Amazon is fake. This is especially true of nutritional supplements. When buying from Amazon, ensure you do so from the brand’s Amazon store. Otherwise, purchase directly from the brand’s official website. Consuming fraudulent products may cause nasty side effects — so be extra cautious.
All supplements made in the USA are under FDA regulation. The same applies for Canada and Australia. Ensure products you buy come from FDA/TGA-registered facilities using GMP certified manufacturing processes. Many supplements, especially those purchased on eBay and Amazon are manufactured abroad, with little to no regulation. One study looked at 44 herbal supplements sold in North America and found 60% do not contain the ingredients or quantities claimed on the labels14.
A risk-free guarantee lets you try supplements without fear of losing your money. If you try the product and don’t experience results, simply contact the manufacturer for a refund. A 60- or 90-day guarantee is the minimum a manufacturer should have as a show of confidence in their products. Also, avoid companies that make you jump through hoops. One common strategy that companies use is “bottle return” – they require you pay for return shipping and return the empty bottles before they process your refund.
Provitalize is the only probiotic in our list that contains all 3 of the best strains for women experiencing menopause. It’s uniquely marketed as a thermogenic probiotic with fat-burning & metabolism-boosting properties.
According to their official website, over 1,200,000 women have shed the stubborn weight with just two capsules a day. The thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon, Trustpilot & Okendo are undeniable proof that Provitalize is worthy of our top spot.
In addition to probiotics, Provitalize contains a herbal blend with demonstrated benefits for premenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women including turmeric root extract, moringa leaf extract, and curry leaf extract. Together these have been shown to combat inflammation and bloating, decrease hot flashes, joint pain, and support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Bioperene (black pepper extract) and sunflower lecithin are shown to enhance absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial properties of herbal formulas.
Want faster visible weight results from Provitalize? Then the Slim Gut Bundle is for you.
This holistic bundle combines the weight-management powers of Provitalize with ‘super fiber’ prebiotics in Previtalize.
The probiotics in Provitalize feed on these ‘super fibers’ to multiply faster and survive longer in the gut. This means women can see faster visible results such as reduction of belly fat & cravings.
These healthy fibers include fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and inulin. Previtalize also aids digestion and stabilizes mood naturally.
Slim Gut also contains burdock root, an anti-inflammatory herb that can help to alleviate joint pains.
We listed the Slim Gut Bundle 2nd only because it costs more than Provitalize alone. Other than that, we believe it’s the best-value-for-money bundle in the market right now.
Each 2 capsule of GleeFull Over 30 Hormone Support contains a mix of vitamins and minerals (Vitamin A, Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc), 802 mg of their proprietary blend of herbs (horny goat weed powder, dong quai root, ashwaganda, cantuaba bark, damiana leaf, ginger, maca root, etc.), 100 mg each of amino acids (L-arginine, L-tyrosine), and 0.5 mg of Bioperine™ Black Pepper Extract.
The ingredients listed in GleeFull Over 30 Hormone Support are generally safe. Herbs like horny goat weed, ashwaganda and dong quai have been studied to elevate estrogen and help with hormonal balance. The added vitamins and amino acids also help to support better well-being.
Hormone Harmony is produced in Australia and owned by an Australian company.
We like that Hormone Harmony has combined multiple ingredients backed by scientific studies to improve menopausal symptoms.
However, Hormone Harmony is the most expensive option on the market, presumably because they spend a lot on advertising and packaging.
Do note that while their official store shows a 98% customer satisfaction rate, it’s worth noting their Amazon store listing shows a 3.6-star rating out of 5, based on 19 customer reviews (as of August 2024).
Overall, it’s a good supplement to consider. But because of its price, we recommend trying it only after you’ve exhausted all alternatives.
Each serving of Happy Hormones (2 capsules) contains a 1,256mg proprietary blend of herbal ingredients (black cohosh, wild yam, chinese liquorice, gymnema sylvestre, maca root, purple passionflower, red raspberry leaf, sage, dandelion, red clover, chaste tree).
Now, we are generally skeptical about brands that do not include the exact amount of each ingredient that goes into each capsule, as the consumers can’t know for sure just how much of the herbs they’re getting.
Happy Hormones isn’t sold on Amazon, but it has a 4.7-star rating on Google, which gives us confidence that the product works for most women. Reported side effects include mild stomach discomfort and water retention.
However, despite the blend of natural ingredients, Happy Hormones does contain magnesium stearate, along with gelatin of bovine nature. These fillers could potentially interact or interfere with some diets.
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