With plant-based diets now being linked to reduced menopausal symptoms, nutrition experts Free Soul have analysed the most unexpected ways that going vegan could support women experiencing menopause.

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Key Findings:

  • Doctors are claiming that treating menopause as a hormone deficiency and over-medicalising the condition can increase anxiety and stress in women.
  • Recent research also found that negative expectations of menopause increased the likelihood of women experiencing distressing symptoms.
  • Over 75% of menopausal women report their symptoms, with almost a quarter describing them as severe and although many women achieve reduced symptoms from hormone therapy, changing diet and regular exercise can also relieve symptoms.
  • Six key medical organisations, including the British Menopause Society and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have drawn up 11 new standards for menopause care which focus on lifestyle advice and dietary modification.
  • Adopting a plant-based, soy-rich diet has been proven to reduce moderate-to-severe hot flushes in menopause by 84%.
  • A recent study has uncovered that menopausal women who followed a vegan diet with no other restrictions lost more weight at a higher rate overall than those following a low-fat restricted diet.

How Severe are Menopausal Symptoms?

It’s no secret that menopause is not a chapter that many women look forward to in their lives. Menopausal symptoms last for an average duration of 7 years, with 1 in 3 women experiencing symptoms beyond this time. This time in a woman’s life impacts individuals in different ways, however common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include hot flushes, anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep or insomnia and weight gain.

Long-term, more concerning health issues related to menopause can include reduced libido, osteoporosis, heart disease and even dementia as a result of lowered oestrogen levels.

What are the Experts Saying?

When it comes to managing symptoms and providing sufficient support to women experiencing menopause, six key medical organisations, including the British Menopause Society and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have drawn up 11 new standards for menopause care.

Within the new standards is a call for a “holistic and individualised approach” in assessing and advising women with particular reference to lifestyle advice and dietary modification. These 2022 standards suggest that the UK’s main authorities on menopause and peri-menopause are acknowledging the importance of diet as a tool to manage menopause symptoms. Additionally, the British Dietetic Association highlight that a range of lifestyle changes can reduce the severity of symptoms and whilst hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be used to help many women control symptoms, some cannot take the treatment due to health issues and others simply choose not to. They outline diet and taking the correct dietary supplements as key factors that can help women to reduce their symptoms.

Ingredients in dietary supplements specifically targeted to menopause and perimenopause, such as Free Soul’s Peri-Menopause Advanced Support, have been proven to effectively relieve symptoms. For instance, multiple studies have demonstrated that isoflavone, found in many menopause and perimenopause supplements, effectively reduces hot flushes, reduces lumbar spine bone mineral density loss and improves glycaemic control.

In terms of diet, adopting a plant-based, soy-rich diet has been proven reduce moderate-to-severe hot flushes in menopause by 84% according to a recent study. During the 12-week study, nearly 60% of women became totally free of moderate-to-severe hot flushes, demonstrating the undeniable power of choosing to go vegan during menopause.

Read more here about: 5 Ways That Going Vegan Could Help with Managing Menopause Symptoms.