7 Natural Menopause Treatments That Really Work

Hot flashes, mood changes and other menopausal symptoms are agitating, to say the least. Sometimes, finding natural treatments that actually resolve these symptoms can be more frustrating than the symptoms themselves. In fact, it's all too easy to doubt if effective treatment options exist. If you're facing these doubts, we have good news: there are natural menopause treatments that really work.

Ahead, we provide insight from Parsley’s Dr. Svetlana Stivi, MD , on seven natural menopause treatments that really work and what a holistic approach to menopause can look like.

Menopause Symptoms and Support

Menopause is something that every woman will go through, usually beginning with perimenopause in her forties. The most common symptoms of menopause are well established:

• Hot flashes
• Weight gain
• Vaginal dryness
• Mood changes

If all women go through it and we can identify the symptoms, why is it so difficult to find support for symptoms?

“In this country’s healthcare system, we often want to label menopause as a disease, but it’s not—it’s a natural state of endocrine reorganization. It’s a transitional experience as a woman goes through life," explains Dr. Stivi.

She continues, "There’s a lot of misinformation about how unpleasant it is for everyone, but in my experience and based on statistics, the majority of women over 60 report feeling pretty great. The symptoms associated with this period and menopause itself can have many different sources, and they’re individual to each woman. That’s why menopause symptoms need to be addressed individually.”

What a holistic approach to menopause care looks like

“When you go to your first medical visit, your Parsley physician will start with an in-depth health history that would include not just your symptoms but also the factors that can affect the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause," says Dr. Stivi.

She adds that a doctor taking a holistic approach to treat menopause symptoms will assess:

• your nutrition
• your stress levels
• your environmental toxicity levels
• your genetics
• your beliefs about menopause

From there, a physician can create a customized treatment plan that suits your lifestyle and symptoms.

7 natural menopause treatments that really work

While treatment plans vary from person to person, there are some natural menopause treatments that tend to be successful for most women who try them. At Parsley, our physicians regularly recommend (and see great results) from these seven natural treatment options.

1) Eat foods high in phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are naturally occuring parts of plants that mimic the benefits of estrogen in the body. By adding more of these to your diet, you can help manage menopause symptoms related to low estrogen levels.

Foods high in phytoestrogens include:

• Soy
• Lentils
• Flaxseed
• Red clover
• Bean sprouts
• Sunflower seeds
• Cereal grain

2) Reduce stress

Stress less is excellent advice for most women going through menopause. In fact, a 2021 study found stressful events make menopause symptoms 21% more severe .

While we can't avoid stress altogether, there are practices we can adopt to respond better to stress and to reduce the stress we can control. These practices include meditation, limiting alcohol intake, and making time for self care, among others.

3) Prioritize sleep

Menopause can cause night sweats and other symptoms that make it hard to sleep. Plus, this period of our lives is riddled with other worries that can keep us up at night, such as caring for aging parents, taking on leadership roles at work and supporting children as they head to university or enter adulthood.

Despite these stressors and symptoms, taking actions to prioritize sleep can reduce menopause symptoms. Solid sleep habits include:

• Following a consistent sleep schedule
• Avoiding those late afternoon or evening naps
• Eliminating or reducing caffeine intake
• Developing a bedtime routine
• Avoiding screen time an hour before sleeping

4) Reduce exposure to environmental toxins

Our environments influence our overall health, including the severity of menopause symptoms. At Parsley, we work with women to avoid environmental toxins that may make symptoms worse.

Common environmental toxins linked to menopause include:

• Microplastics
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer goods, such as carpets, leather and clothing
• Air pollution
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are found in older paints and plastics
• Pesticides
• Bisphenol A (BPA), which can be found in plastics and food packaging
• Cigarette smoke

This isn't an exhaustive list, and working with a physician or health coach that takes a holistic view of menopause treatment can help you identify toxins found in your environment.

5) Exercise regularly

Exercising for at least 30 minutes most days of the week has been shown to reduce menopause symptoms. The jury is still out on what types of exercise are best for managing menopause symptoms, though some studies suggest yoga, resistance strength training, and/or tai chi.

Our recommendation? Find the type of exercise that you enjoy and can do consistently.

6) Avoid Sugars and Processed Carbs

Next time you're craving a sweet treat, it may be beneficial to pick up a yogurt parfait with fruit instead of that tub of ice cream. That's because ultra processed foods and sugars have been linked to more severe menopause symptoms.

Conversely, adding more fruits, vegetables and fiber to your diet may reduce menopause symptoms (and lead to better overall health).

7) Addressing menopause beliefs

Women who think menopause is a disease and take their symptoms as a sign of disease will have much more pronounced symptoms than women who think of menopause as a natural state of life.

It's important to note that women aren’t just coming up with this narrative out of nowhere. In our society and our healthcare system, women’s health concerns are often either dismissed or stigmatized, especially when it comes to reproductive health.

At the same time, it’s not uncommon for women's underlying health conditions to be left untreated because doctors dismiss their symptoms as menopause. At Parsley, our closer, more personal look (backed by data) lowers the risk of missed diagnoses.

Our health coaches can also work with women to address any negative beliefs they have around menopause. Alongside working with a health coach, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may also help address menopause misconceptions and reduce symptoms.

Can you give us an example of what natural menopause treatments look like in action?

Dr. Stevi outlines what a natural menopause treatment plan may look like:

“Let’s take an imaginary member, Jane Doe. She’s 51, the average age at which women reach menopause. She’s a professional woman with a full-time job and a family with children, living in New York City. She’s having an array of symptoms, like mood swings, weight gain, bloating, brain fog, breast tenderness, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, anger, fatigue, headaches, decreased libido, vaginal dryness and pain in intercourse. All of these interfere with her daily functioning as a person and as a woman.

"In our first meeting, I will spend an hour doing an in-depth personal health and life history, which will include an assessment of the severity and frequency of her menopause symptoms, how they interfere with her daily life and in what way and to what extent, what has been done before to alleviate symptoms, and what she is doing currently. Normally there isn’t enough time for this, right, since most clinicians spend about 15 minutes with their patients—if that. I’ll also ask her about her past use of medications, herbs, supplements, hormones, and surgeries.

"Then I find out more about what Jane’s average day looks like, starting with what time she gets up, to where she works, what her hours are, if she takes breaks to eat meals and healthy snacks. Does she enjoy her work? Does she hate it? Next, her nutrition. What is that like? Is it homemade or processed? Does she have any allergies or sensitivities? I’ll also ask if there’s any substance use, recreational drug use, and if she uses tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.

"Then we look at how much time Jane spends relaxing. Does she have time at the end of day for self-care, like an activity she enjoys, quiet time, meditation, walking in nature, or playing with her kids and grandchildren? This feeds into her mental wellbeing. Our feelings about ourselves, our jobs, our families, and our health also affect our stress levels, which in turn can affect our hormonal health. How is Jane’s social life and community? Does she belong to any clubs, or have a religious affiliation? Does she have enough time for friends? Does she have pets?

"We also look at her genetic and medical history, collecting the results of any physical exams, recent gynecological exams, including breast exam, pap smear, mammogram, bone density test. What about her family health history? We factor that in, too.

"There are so many things to find out about just to begin to understand how Jane’s health and lifestyle impact her menopause symptoms. Most of it has to do with how she manages stress, which causes spikes in adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that will interfere with natural fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone, thereby increasing the intensity of her menopause symptoms. With advanced diagnostic testing, we may also discover that she has an underlying condition, like SIBO, that exacerbates her menopause symptoms.It’s all connected! While we call what we do at Parsley holistic medicine, I would simply say that it’s a commonsense medicine.”

You don’t have to just deal with your menopause symptoms.

One in three American women report moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. Even more report that they're suffering silence without treatment. The good news is that doesn't have to be the case moving forward.

“When we look at the body as an integrated system—rather than isolated parts—we’re able to implement the right solution at the right time, which halts the cycle of frustration women experience when they’re stuck in the revolving door of specialist referrals and prescription drugs,” explains Robin Berzin, MD , Parsley's Founder and CEO.

While medications like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be prescribed when appropriate, Parsley’s menopause protocol emphasizes advanced testing and personalized lifestyle changes implemented with the guidance of a doctor and personal health coach. With our holistic approach, we take a closer look at every aspect of health impacted by menopause—from metabolic, to mental health, to inflammation—to offer a holistic path to healing that actually works.

This approach has led to 88% of members improving or resolving their menopause symptoms within their first year of membership, and 30% reducing medications related to menopause treatment, our protocol has proven to be life changing for women who might otherwise suffer in silence.

Today, we have formalized our menopause protocol to ensure our providers are officially trained in it so that our menopause care is available to everyone, everywhere.

“We’re rolling out a national program now because we believe every woman should know that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) isn’t her only option,” says Parsley CEO and Founder Dr. Robin Berzin, MD . “Indeed, many don't need HRT (even when it’s prescribed), and many others get prescribed HRT yet don’t receive the proper testing to ensure the dosage is safe.”

Are you or someone you know suffering from menopause symptoms? 88% of Parsley members improve or resolve theirs in their first year of membership. Schedule a free call to find out how we can help you feel better.