Vitamins and minerals can help you cope with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness and help fight against the negative long-term effects of premature menopause, such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

Let me say right here that many doctors will tell you it’s best to get your vitamins from food sources themselves. And they’re absolutely right!  Often the nutrients in foods are more helpful than isolated vitamin supplements. But let’s be honest -- I know from experience that I often don’t eat as well as I should and sometimes don’t get enough of the right vitamins from my food. And I’m willing to bet it’s a similar situation with many of you. This is why it often makes a lot of sense to take vitamin and mineral supplements. No, taking supplements doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make every effort to eat healthfully. But it can help ensure that you’re getting the help you need to ease the symptoms of early or premature menopause....and fight your increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease -- whether you’re on HRT or not.

Here’s a rundown of the vitamins that may help you:

Vitamin A

What It Can Do For You:

• Helps maintain your eyes, skin, tissues and mucous membranes -- so helps fight the uncomfortable vaginal drying and increased risk of urinary tract and vaginal infections brought about by low estrogen levels.
• Also helps keep your skin healthy and supple -- a real plus when collagen levels drop due to low estrogen.

Sources:

• Liver, cod liver oil or other fish liver oils; egg yolks; spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables; cheese and fortified milk products

Recommended Dosage:

• Vitamin A palmitate or acetate are the most easily absorbed forms of Vitamin A. The RDA is 4,000 IUs, but research indicates that about 10,000 IUs may be necessary for benefits. Be sure not to take too much Vitamin A as it is toxic -- and, if you have kidney problems, check with your doctor before taking any Vitamin A. Because of its toxicity, many doctors and researchers suggest that you get Vitamin A through your diet alone -- or in a small amount in a multi-vitamin, and take beta-carotene to fulfill any Vitamin A needs.

 

B Vitamins

What They Can Do For You:

• Help keep your energy levels up; support your liver function ( a definite plus if you’re on HRT, as oral estrogen is broken down by your liver); prevent vaginal dryness; increase your resistance to infection; help maintain your adrenal gland function -- which is where the precursor to estrone (the form of estrogen still produced by your body after menopause) is produced.
• B6 can help fight bloating due to water retention -- a common problem for women taking synthetic progesterone.
• B-vitamins also help you to deal with the emotional symptoms that crop up during premature menopause -- such as anxiety, irritability, mood swings, even insomnia.
• Important note: HRT may cause a deficiency of certain B-vitamins, including B2, B6, B12 and Biotin. So if you’re on HRT, you may want to consider B vitamin supplements.

Sources:

• The different Bs are usually found in the same foods, including beans, whole grains, liver, brewer’s yeast, egg yolks and more.

Recommended Dosage:

• Because the B vitamins work together to perform such vital tasks as helping with glucose metabolization, supporting your liver and decreasing stress, it’s usually recommended that you take the entire B-complex, not just one or two of the vitamins. To treat the symptoms of menopause, some researchers recommend you take at least a 50 mg B-Complex, that contains 50 mgs. of Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (b2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), P6, PABA, Choline, Inositol; 50 mcg. B12, and 400 mcg. of folic acid.

 

Vitamin C

What It Can Do For You:

• Helps fight infections and allergies, has anti-stress properties, acts as an antioxidant so may play a role in cancer prevention.
• Can help cut down on hot flashes -- especially when taken in combination with citrus bioflavanoids (see below).
• Appears to help keep vaginal tissues moist and lubricated; keep bacterial growth in the intestinal tract down -- which can help prevent vaginal and bladder infections, which often become more apparent when you’re in menopause.
• Helps aid the function of the adrenal glands -- which is where much of the estrogen your body produces after menopause is made -- and in so doing, helps keep estrogen-related symptoms and problems in check.
• Helps to maintain and build collagen levels -- which tend to drop when you are in menopause. This is helpful for your skin and for your bones. As for your heart health, C helps decrease the rate of LDL oxidation and may help decrease blood pressure.
• Finally, on the anti-stress front -- taking vitamin C with vitamin B6 has been shown to help with anxiety and tension, as well as insomnia.

Sources:

• Citrus fruits and other fruits such as melon (cantaloupe and honeydew) and strawberries; cruiciferous vegetables , such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage; dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collard greens.

Recommended Dosage:

• RDA is 75 mgs, but most research recommends up to 500-1000 mgs. daily

 

Citrus Bioflavonoids

What They Can Do For You:

• Have a weak estrogenic effect in your body (about fifty thousand times weaker than estrogen) but appears to be enough to help cope with menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bloating and water retention, even urinary incontinence.
• May help relieve moodiness, anxiety, irritability and other emotional side effects of menopause.
• Also help in the fight against heart disease and strengthen the capillary walls, so can help prevent heavy menstrual bleeding.
• Help boost and maintain collagen production -- which often drops when your estrogen levels are low.

Sources:

• Found in the pith -- the white inner peel -- of citrus fruits as well as in black currants

Recommended Dosage:

• No conventional required minimum allowance for bioflavonoids, but the typically recommended dosage for women in menopause is 1000 - 1500 milligrams a day, or a 250 milligram capsule taken four to six times daily. (Studies have shown help with hot flashes when taking 1200 mg of Vit C and 1200 mg of citrus bioflavonoids.

 

Vitamin D

What It Can Do For You:

• A necessity for healthy bones
• Helps your bones use both calcium and phosphorous -- the building blocks of your bones.

Sources:

• Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring); fortified milk and other dairy products; egg yolks; fortified cereals and breads

Recommended Dosage:

• 400 IUs

 

Vitamin E

What it Can Do For You:

• Can help prevent and treat vaginal atrophy -- especially when used topically (by using the soft-gel capsule as a vaginal suppository).
• Has been shown in studies to help reduce breast cysts, to diminish PMS symptoms like anxiety and moodiness, and to help keep thyroid function regular -- which may be particularly helpful for women with an autoimmune basis to their premature menopause.
• As an antioxidant, may be useful in helping prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as in helping to slow the effects of aging.

Sources:

• Eggs, wheat germ and whole grains, nuts (such as almonds and walnuts), legumes, (such as peanuts), vegetable oils (such as corn and safflower)

Recommended Dosage

• The RDA of Vitamin E is quite low -- 15 IUs, but most doctors recommend far more than this, especially to help with menopausal symptoms. Generally, 100 to 800 IUs is the common recommendation -- with many doctors recommending a split dosage of 200-400 IUs of Vitamin E in the morning and another 200-400 IUs in the night. But keep in mind: Vitamin E isn’t safe for everyone. If you have rheumatic heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, or take digitalis drugs, Vitamin E can be very harmful. It’s best not to take more than 100 IU in this case. And definitely check with your doctor before even taking this small amount.

Calcium

What It Can Do For You:

• A must for fighting osteoporosis!
• Also may help lower blood pressure and reduce triglyceride levels, help in wound healing and blood clotting, and, in combination with Vitamin D, may help prevent colon and rectal cancer.

Source:

• Dairy products, fish with bones (salmon, sardines), dark green, leafy vegetables; seeds, nuts.

Recommended dosage:

• 1,000 to 1,500 mgs. a day

 

Boron

What It Can do For You:

• Works with calcium to help fight osteoporosis by preventing bone loss and, possibly, by helping increase bone density.

Sources:

• Fruits, including apples and pears; green and dark yellow vegetables including broccoli, carrots; nuts including almonds and hazelnuts

Recommended dosage: 1-6 mgs.

 

Magnesium

What It Can Do For You:

• Also important for bone health.
• Can help fight the fatigue that often accompanies the beginning phases of menopause and is often recommended by doctors to help boost energy levels.
• Helps keep your heart healthy.
• Also helps fight migraines and prevent diabetes -- an autoimmune disorder that women with autoimmune POF may be at a higher risk for.

Source:

• Whole grains; dark green leafy vegetables; nuts; milk and dairy products; meat and fish; dried cooked beans, especially soy beans

Recommended dosage:

• RDA is 280 mgs, but most research indicates that you need 400 mgs. for maximum benefits

 

Potassium

What It Can Do For You:

• Keeps muscle contractions normal; regularizing your heartbeat; and regulating the fluids and acids in your body.
• Most useful as a treatment for fatigue, like magnesium. In fact, studies have found that taking both potassium and magnesium can boost your energy levels significantly.
• Can help you cope with water retention and bloating.
• Fights high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

Sources:

• Bananas, potatoes, nuts, citrus fruits

Recommended dosage:

• This is a mineral that you generally get enough of through eating properly; however, if you think you’re aren’t getting enough or have low potassium levels, check your multi-vitamin or multi-mineral supplement. 99 mgs should be enough.

 

Iodine

What It Can Do For You:

• Key player in your thyroid function, so if you're in premature menopause due to an autoimmune disorder may be very important in preventing thyroid disease.
• Several studies have indicated that iodine may also be involved in keeping breast tissue healthy. . . and in preventing breast diseases.

Sources:

• Fish, iodized salt, seaweed, shellfish, kelp tablets

Recommended dosage:

• 150 mcg