Dietary Approach to Naturally Treating Menopause Symptoms

Specific foods have been shown in randomized controlled trials to improve menopause symptoms like hot flashes.
For more on menopause, see:
How Did Doctors Not Know About the Risks of Hormone Therapy? (nutritionfacts.org/video/how-...)
Soy Phytoestrogens for Menopause Hot Flashes (nutritionfacts.org/video/soy-...)
The Best Moisturizers and Lubricants for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms (nutritionfacts.org/video/the-...)
Hormone Treatment (Estrogen Pills and Creams) for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms (nutritionfacts.org/video/horm...)
Soy Milk for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms (nutritionfacts.org/video/soy-...)
Menopausal Hot Flashes Are Not Inevitable (nutritionfacts.org/video/meno...)
Soy Foods for Menopause Hot Flash Symptoms (nutritionfacts.org/video/soy-...)
I also cover this topic in How Not to Age.
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-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
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[@NutritionFactsOrg]

This week is Dr. Greger's 50th birthday! Help wish him a happy one by making a contribution to his life's work by going here nutritionfacts.app.neoncrm.com/forms/dr-gregers-50th-birthday or using the donate button on this video. We thank you for your support!

[@christianmarquez3143]

I’m able to make a small monthly contribution, and do. There is so much value to all of this evidence-based information presented in an easy to understand way. Thankful to have learned about Nutrition Facts.❤

[@trevorregay9283]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Lets ALL make it to live be 100 years old and it be a qualify life at that!!!

[@davidgeorge7443]

I'm a dude and still found that fascinating.

[@judeflynn9223]

hope you get the menopause. eejit

[@Mozafamily]

I'm 1 1/2 years past my last cycle and I feel being vegan (11 years now) really helped me have an easier time of it that I have heard from most other people. I also took Black Cohash to help with the night sweats which are infrequent now.

[@angelicamoore4087]

This was right on time!! Thanks for sharing!

[@stephanie2533]

I’m 50, whole food vegan. I’ve never experienced any menopausal symptoms. When are they supposed to start, and how or when will I know that it’s over?

[@cm1906]

Thank you for this video. While focusing on the symptoms of menopause is important - they can be debilitating and life altering, I’d like to see at least as much attention given to the fact that menopause / estrogen deficiency comes with real heath risks for women. They are osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease/heart attack, dementia (Alzheimer’s), and more. The risk for these conditions are independent of symptoms a menopausal woman may experience. There are estrogen receptors virtually everywhere in a woman’s body, meaning the hormone serves important functions other than those needed for reproduction. The question is whether (the right) foods alone can fulfill all these functions optimally and from what we know at this point, the answer is no. In an ideal world (for women), we would get comprehensive information/education about the consequences of the loss of ovarian function and women would have a choice of affordable hormone therapy with body identical preparations (estradiol and progesterone if needed). Equivalent to giving thyroid hormone or insulin when needed. I wonder how the loss of an essential hormone would be approached if this happened to men! It’s an interesting thought experiment, in my opinion. If men lost virtually ALL their testosterone within a few years around midlife, had a long list of debilitating and life altering physical and emotional symptoms, which on average could last for many years. Many would have to quit careers they had spent decades to build because they are unable to perform as required, etc., etc. And on top there’d be significant risks to their overall health. How do we think this complete loss of testosterone in men would be “dealt with” in medicine? Society? Amongst men themselves? Would we hear “oh well, that’s how it is now; we’ll just have to live with it for the remaining 30-50 years of our lives.” 😂 I’m pretty sure I know the answer! Healthy food is essential, yes, but food is food, and hormones are hormones. Expecting one to do the job(s) of the other is wishful thinking, in my opinion.

[@2008aa6]

I’m also amazed at Mother Nature. Or may be our ancestors did not live a whole lot past menopausal age and so this quality of life decline did not matter much?

[@cm1906]

@@2008aa6 Exactly. From the beginning of humanity up until fairly recently, human life expectancy was quite short. Women usually did not come anywhere near the age of menopause. There was so much that killed us much earlier (childbirth, infections, diseases, starvation, injuries, violence …) before our modern day advances in science, medicine, technology, etc.

[@user-ip9wg3fq1f]

Thank you for writing this CM, I was about to. I am a long term ethical vegan (35 years of a good vegan diet) had meno at 45 and avoided HRT because of fear and misinformation, spent years feeling awful, started HRT and back to my normal self. Diet alone is just not enough.

[@cm1906]

@@user-ip9wg3fq1f Thank you for your comment. Congratulations on feeling better with HRT. Best wishes. 😊

[@truefuschniken]

Thank you for this!!!

[@nazokashii]

Thank you so much for sharing

[@lolab1808]

I am a big fan of Greger. I have bought all of his books, and I respect and follow the vegan diet. However, he needs to open his mind and read more updated research material on the benefits of HRT. The US is behind the UK on its treating menopausal women. I suffered insomnia terribly for a decade until I started HRT. Transfermal HRT does not have the side effects that oral HRT did. My joints no longer hurt, I sleep better, and yes I still eat my beans and greens. Dr. G is behind the times on this.

[@judeflynn9223]

exactly

[@MichelleL20942]

THANK YOU‼️THIS IS 😊GREAT‼️

[@chelleec23]

This is great news for me because, as a breast cancer survivor, I can't have hormone replacement.

[@bobbystrainovic9444]

6g organic MSM Sulphur Crystals/flakes the bigger the better. (Not powder or capsules) 5g organic ashwagandha root powder. 5g organic RED maca root powder. 5g organic acerola cherry powder(vitamin c) Mix all together in a large glass of FILTERED water (non chlorinated, as it will decrease the effectiveness of the MSM) until everything is dissolved. Drink once a day. Also rub a good quality clareysage oil on soles of feet every night. I have tried this on 3 people and it took 6-8 weeks to work.

[@jenmichigan]

I had hot flashes-not bad, but annoying- for a couple years and they disappeared a couple months after going vegan. I ate some dairy cheese pizza (messed up order) two years later and my hot flashes returned for two months! They're mostly gone again but that was a lot of time for two slices of pizza.

[@arica1798]

In perimentapause. And try to eat veggies for 37 years

[@totmirmis]

what about soy isoflavones supplements and red clover, do they work and are they safe in the long run?

[@bobbystrainovic9444]

6g organic MSM Sulphur Crystals/flakes the bigger the better. (Not powder or capsules) 5g organic ashwagandha root powder. 5g organic RED maca root powder. 5g organic acerola cherry powder(vitamin c) Mix all together in a large glass of FILTERED water (non chlorinated, as it will decrease the effectiveness of the MSM) until everything is dissolved. Drink once a day. Also rub a good quality clareysage oil on soles of feet every night. I have tried this on 3 people and it took 6-8 weeks to work.

[@AH-cy4md]

It’s fascinating how much diet affects such things. Your mileage may vary…. I’m a female, almost 1 year post-menopause now, have been WF vegan for several years, including flaxmeal and chia meal, and have vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes, as well as the lesser known cold flashes, which interrupts my sleep . Have added soybeans, from a study by Dr. Barnard, black cohosh ….one can see why it’s called “the change “😅

[@c.vandenberg1559]

Same here. Wfpb and still hot flashes resulting in insomnia. On the website someone talks about cell salts. Any clues anyone?

[@2008aa6]

Yeah I also saw that PCRM video where Barnard recommend soybeans which I’ve also bought. It was fascinating since he said women in countries eating no dairy and WFPB had never heard of hot flashes.

[@cm1906]

I recommend getting a good education on menopause from evidence based sources, because estrogen loss is associated with important health risks for women, regardless of whether or not they experience the typical menopause symptoms. I recommend Heather Hirsch MD, Barbara Taylor MD, both have videos here on KZbin. The book “Estrogen Matters” by Avrum Bluming MD (oncologist) and Carol Tavris PhD (social psychologist) is also a wonderful resource, in my opinion.

[@AH-cy4md]

@@cm1906 I’ll check them out

[@user-ip9wg3fq1f]

AH I am a long-term vegan and thought my diet would ensure good health post meno, 5 years post-meno I felt really awful, after enjoying an excellent diet and lots of physical activity. It was only after educating myself and getting on HRT that I was able to get back to normal again. So for me it took a while before my estrogen seriously nosedived off a cliff. Do, as CM recommends, educate yourself using evidence-based resources. I am somewhat disappointed by the video.

[@Test7017]

Look up fenugreek seeds and menopause

[@Kimberly1Lily]

I've tried drinking Fenugreek tea, and you're right about the beneficial properties. I experienced some improvement with the unwanted symptoms of menopause.

[@Test7017]

@@Kimberly1Lily I eat two spoons a day and a few other things. I get new hairs on my head reversing bald spots👍👍

[@Test7017]

Swallow the seeds

[@Test7017]

@@Kimberly1Lily swallow the seeds it's better

[@Test7017]

@@Kimberly1Lily also find the supplement called NAC take a few a day. It also brings hair back take msm too

[@Addy_Hawaii]

I need to educate myself more on topics that are not relevant to me

[@judeflynn9223]

wait... hope you get it

[@tashad2201]

Clearly from the comments and just my gut feeling over the past year is telling me I need to be vegan. But the transition scares me. Learning what to cook sounds stressful. But I need to do something because my symptoms are so bad.

[@judeflynn9223]

hrt

[@aldovirooo]

When I eat whole food vegan I have no menopause problems, when I deviate and eat lacto-ovo, I start suffering the heat flashes etc. Staying veganZ Diet works.