Menopause refers to the stoppage or absence of the menstrual periods in a woman for a period of 12 months and greater. This stage is marked as the point of time when the woman’s ovaries stop functioning. Menopause is a gradual process with many severe after-effects/ symptoms. There are many ways to treat and manage the condition. Listed below are the best non-hormonal treatments for menopause:

best non- hormonal treatments for menopause

Dietary Changes

Changes in one’s diet is integral to treating menopause and countering its symptoms without falling into the hormonal treatment methods. Some of the dietary changes that can be followed are as below:

  • It is best to avoid the consumption of any spicy foods because they increase the intensity of hot flashes.
  • Same goes with alcohol and caffeine consumption. Eliminating these two components from one’s diet are ways to treat menopause.
  • Many women going through menopause and seeking a non-hormonal way to treat the symptoms are suggested to include as much of plant estrogens in their diet as they can. Most common plant estrogen sources are chickpeas, soya-beans, flaxseeds, lentils, beans, red clover, fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Life- Style Changes

Many lifestyle changes can also be made for those who want to treat menopause the non- hormonal way:

  • Excessively hot temperatures also aggravate menopause symptoms. It is hence advised that you work on reducing the temperature of the room you sleep in. This will help you avoid night sweats.
  • Another suggestion is to start dressing in layer, this way when you are experiencing hot flashes you can get rid of a few layers and curb the symptoms. Dressing in layers is an extremely effective way to keeping hot flash worries at bay.
  • Smoking is another trigger for menopause. There is dual importance to quitting smoking when it comes to menopause. Firstly it leads to an increased susceptibility to postmenopausal cardiovascular troubles. And the second is that the more you smoke the more hot flashes you experience, hence worsening the menopause.
  • Many self- calming therapeutic ways are also suggested menopause treatments. Practicing yoga and meditation (such as deep breathing/ slow breathing) are both effective in calming the senses and curbing the mood swings associated with menopause.
  • Another lifestyle suggestion made by most professionals to treat menopause is to stop use of all sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and such drugs which worsen the state of women going through menopause.
  • Many experts suggest that taking in milk/ other dairy products (but make a note- caffeine free milk products) at bedtime can result in countering the effects of menopause.
  • Another very integral part of anyone’s life is the sense of fulfillment and achievement. It is hence suggested that women going through menopause should engage in activities and creative outlets which grants them a sense of fulfillment.

Non- Hormonal Therapies

  • Acupuncture: While there is no actual and empirical evidence that suggest acupuncture is effective but many women vouch for the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating menopause and curbing its symptoms.
  • Vitamin E: As per studies, increasing the proportion of vitamin E in the diet is an effective way of treating menopause. Many women take soluble vitamin E pills that are easily available over the counter.