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:

I also cover this topic in How Not to Age.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings.

[angelicamoore]

This was right on time!! Thanks for sharing!

[davidgeorge]

I'm a dude and still found that fascinating.

[cm]

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.

[DespondentDragon]

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

[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.

[stephanie]

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?

[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.

[lolab]

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.

[AH-cymd]

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 “😅

[arica]

In perimentapause. And try to eat veggies for 37 years

[adeday_mamo]

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

[tashad]

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.

[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.

[ayurdoc]

40-Fit Women Care Pack by planet ayurveda is very helpful in this condition