Top 10 Menopause Supplements

When you were younger, would you ever have believed that you would one day miss your monthly visitor? Those childbearing years certainly were no joke (and if you did, indeed, "bear children," let's not even get started on labor or postpartum recovery). Yet, most women who are in the clenches of menopause would gladly trade a few days of cramps per month for relentless, daily hot flashes.

To make matters worse, many of the discomforts you might have previously associated with menstruation (like mood swings) are worse for some women during menopause.

And, you may also be experiencing a whole new batch of discomforts that will have you reaching for your portable fan….and possibly your tweezers.

But what if instead of those, you reached for a supplement bottle?

Do supplements really work for menopause?

If you're skeptical about menopause supplements, we have good news. There are non-hormonal and herbal options that have been clinically studied to address common menopausal complaints, including hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.

And it makes sense to address menopause in this holistic way. Menopause, after all, is a natural, gradual and inevitable change not only to your reproductive ability, but to all the bodily systems that are impacted by the shifts in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that happen throughout this transition.

Supplements that directly address menopausal discomforts are going to become your new BFFs during this time of life. So, too, are formulas that support optimal hormonal balance.

Of course, menopause affects different women in different ways, and if you see changes in your hair, your skin, your digestion, or your vaginal comfort, targeted nutrition can help with these, too.

Here are our picks for the top 10 supplements for women in menopause.

1. Best overall menopause supplement: Menopause 731™

This soy-free, hormone-free supplement relieves 11 common (and not so common) menopausal discomforts. This includes:

• Hot flashes

• Night sweats

• Irritability

• Mood swings

• Issues with sleep (and the accompanying exhaustion)

• Discomfort in your joints and muscles

• Vaginal dryness and other sexual function concerns

How can a supplement achieve relief of so many menopause complaints? The active ingredient is the extract of Siberian rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum L.), which was clinically evaluated in over 400 women in randomized, placebo-controlled studies ranging from 12 weeks to two years. The impressive results: up to an 83% reduction in hot flashes, and a 66% decrease in irritability.

Many find that this formula is even more effective than another popular herb used by menopausal women, black cohosh. "I found Menopause 731™ much more effective for reducing hot flashes and my sleep pattern has improved," commented one customer.

And you don't have to be in clinical menopause (meaning, having gone a year without a period) to see relief from menopausal symptoms, either. A perimenopausal customer said, "This formula works so great at stabilizing so many symptoms that I also had forgotten how bad it was until I ran out and didn't take it for 5 days." She added, "It's not magic but it definitely helps!"

While Menopause 731™ is our top pick for making menopausal discomforts manageable, there are other important supplements that women in their fifties should be taking.

2. Best supplement to promote breast health

Perhaps you've heard that women should eat broccoli? There's absolutely truth to this: those "little green trees" (and other cruciferous vegetables) have been linked to promoting healthy estrogen metabolism. Not sure how you (or your tummy) feel about eating heaping broccoli servings every day? Our Breast Health Formula contains indole-3-carbinol (I3C), found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, as well as other nutrients that benefit breast health, including phytoestrogens from soy.

3. Best supplement to promote healthy sleep

If going through "the change" has caused you to lose sleep, you're not alone. The hormonal changes of perimenopause give many women a head-start on less-than-ideal sleep patterns that only gets worse during full-fledged menopause, when hot flashes enter the picture. An all-night melatonin supplement—one that provides both immediate and extended release—will help you clock in a steady, restful 7 hours. Added bonus: a good night's sleep can make other menopause-related struggles more manageable. Our pick: Melatonin IR/XR.

4. Best anti-aging skincare supplement

Declining levels of estrogen can cause your collagen levels to take a dip, and without enough naturally occurring collagen, skin dryness and sagginess is, unfortunately, common. Lack of estrogen can make a woman's hair harder to maintain fullness and density, too. Our clinically studied Hair, Skin & Nails Collagen Plus Formula contains bioactive collagen peptides, silicon, and other nutrients that promote youthful levels of both collagen and keratin so you can stay youthful-looking longer.

5. Best bone health supplement

With less estrogen comes lower bone density—in fact, the majority of bone loss you'll experience in your lifetime is within the decade that you go through menopause. Stand tall against this challenge! Bone Restore Elite is packed with ingredients that may help your bones stay youthful. Going beyond the standard calcium supplement, our formula also includes vitamin D3 to enhance calcium absorption, vitamin K2 (to help keep that calcium in your bones and out of your bloodstream), plus minerals magnesium, zinc, boron and more.

6. Best supplement to protect your joints (and skin!) during menopause

It's not just your bones that are affected by estrogen levels as you age—your joints may become less flexible, too. Fortunately, our Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints offers three types of collagen so that you can keep your knees and other bendy bits happy. The fact that collagen also helps your skin look more youthful? Talk about a win-win situation! Our flavorless, easy-to-digest powder can be mixed with water, your morning coffee, or baked into a tasty muffin or other morning treat.

7. Best formula to keep your sex drive alive

That dip in estrogen doesn't just affect your hair, skin, nails and bones. It also may mean you're less interested in sex—and even if you're "in the mood" mentally and emotionally, vaginal dryness can make intimacy anything but enjoyable. Our best-in-class libido support supplement, Enhanced Sex for Women 50+, is a best seller for good reason: it supports both sexual comfort and response, thanks to the fungi extract cordyceps, and the well-known herbal favorite, maca root.

8. Best menopause supplements for vaginal comfort

Decreased libido is a hallmark of menopause, and the vaginal dryness and discomfort that often comes with age doesn't help. Many address vaginal health with suppositories, but our FLORASSIST® Probiotic Women's Health offers much more convenient support. This unique oral probiotic is made with ROSELL® A, which helps maintain overall vaginal health by encouraging a healthy vaginal microbiome, pH levels and vaginal tissue health. A second strain in this made-for-women formula promotes digestive health and a healthy immune response.

9. Best supplement for those extra bathroom trips

Many women find that they need to urinate more frequently during perimenopause and menopause. This (like many of your other menopausal complaints) is due to dips in estrogen. And at a time in life when you likely already have an overwhelming to-do list, those extra runs to the restroom are not a welcome interruption. A great supplement to keep on hand is Women’s Bladder Support, which combines horsetail, lindera, and three-leaf caper extracts to support bladder health and maintain healthy urinary frequency for women—day and night.

10. Best memory supplement for menopausal women

Where did you put your keys? Many women do find themselves a bit more forgetful during perimenopause and menopause, and also can struggle to concentrate the way they did when they were younger. Ominously looming in the horizon is further memory loss, which can happen to anyone as part of the normal aging process. Fight to keep your memory that steel trap it's been! Our best-in-class Memory Protect combines a low dose of lithium with a milk peptide to support memory and cognitive health as you age.

What vitamins should a 50-year-old woman take?

Menopause hits the average woman at age 51. If you haven't been taking the supplements that women of all ages should take—like a multivitamin and probiotic—there's no time like the present to be proactive about your health!

The healthier baseline you're able to establish now, the better equipped you'll be to navigate these changes…and emerge from menopause a stronger, wiser woman.

Advanced Appetite Suppress (item #01807): This supplement should be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Individual results are not guaranteed, and results may vary.

References

• "Here's How Menopause Affects Your Skin and Hair." Healthessentials, February 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-how-menopause-affects-your-skin-and-hair/
• Fletcher, Jenna. "Cause and treatment for menopause bloating." Medical News Today, October 2017, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319609
• Groves, Melissa. "Menopause Diet: How What You Eat Affects Your Symptoms." Healthline, November 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/menopause-diet
• Joneskos, Staness. "Menopausal Weight Gain: How To Get Your Body Back." Huffington Post, March 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/menopausal-weight-gain-ho_b_9558470
• Orenstein, Beth W. "How to Boost Bone Health Before and After Menopause." Everyday Health, February 2017, https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/how-to-boost-bone-health-menopause/
• Weiwei Pien, Grace, M.D., M.S.C.E. "How Does Menopause Affect My Sleep?" Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/how-does-menopause-affect-my-sleep
• York Morris, Susan. "Does Menopause Cause Memory Loss?" Healthline, April 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause-and-memory-loss