The best multiple vitamins for menopause should include appropriate amounts of calcium, vitamin D and magnesium, in order to help prevent osteoporosis. There are other vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements and plant components that may stop menopause night sweats and other complaints.

Whether shopping on-line or at your local drug store, you will undoubtedly find a large assortment of herbal remedies, multiple vitamins for menopause and combos that supposedly provide everything that a woman needs for a “healthy menopause”. There are products that are supposed to stop menopause night sweats, stop hot flashes and stop mood swings. The question is which one to choose. Choosing a health supplement of any kind can be difficult.

The Federal Trade Commission advises that while the benefits of some health products are well documented, others have no proven benefits and may even be dangerous. It is the responsibility of the health supplement manufacturers to insure that the products they sell are safe. These are general statements that apply to all health supplements, but apply to herbal remedies and multiple vitamins for menopause, as well. It is the consumer’s chore to evaluate the effectiveness of these remedies by “giving them a try” or by researching the product ingredients.

This brings up one way that a consumer can spot a questionable product. Manufactures that are confident in the quality and effectiveness of their products will provide a detailed list of ingredients. The best manufacturers will even provide information supporting the use of the ingredients for any given condition. Manufacturers that make broad, non-specific statements concerning ingredients are either unsure about what the product contains, unsure about the products effectiveness or trying to mislead the consumer by insinuating that the product contains substances that are actually not included.

Let’s look at an example of what to avoid, without giving any brand names. One internet company that sells multiple vitamins for menopause makes this statement, “formulated to deliver essential vitamins and minerals, as well as menopause discomfort relieving herbs and isoflavones.” The list of ingredients includes a number of vitamins, but no herbs and no isoflavones. Apparently this company is hoping that the consumer will read the description, but not the list of ingredients. A woman who is trying to stop menopause night sweats may find this product ineffective. While research has shown that vitamin E is somewhat effective, there are other herbs and plant components that are more effective for this purpose.

Most health care professionals recommend multiple vitamins for menopause health, when used in conjunction with a healthy, well-balanced diet and regular exercise. You may wonder why exercise is so important. You may think that if you take a calcium supplement you are protected from osteoporosis (a weakening and thinning of the bones), even if you do not exercise regularly. If you think this way, then you are wrong. Certain activities (or lack of activity, in this case) and substances have a canceling effect on vitamins and minerals. Lack of exercise cancels out the positive benefits of calcium supplementation.

The commonly recommended minerals, dietary supplements and multiple vitamins for menopause or the years leading up to menopause are calcium, vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B-complex, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, potassium, fiber, isoflavones and phytoestrogens.

Isoflavones are actually a well-researched form of phytoestrogens, but are sometimes listed separately. Phytoestrogens are simply plant compounds that have an “estrogen-like” effect on the body. Lessening levels of estrogen in a woman’s body are believed to cause both PMS and menopause related symptoms. The most common sources of isoflavones are soy and red clover. Clinical research has shown that either of these may stop menopause night sweats and relieve other symptoms associated with low levels of estrogen.

Dietary guidelines from the USDA recommend that people should get most of their vitamins and minerals from the food that they eat, but that in certain cases supplementation may be necessary. Specifically related to multiple vitamins for menopause are the recommendations that people over the age of 50 should add B-complex and D supplements or foods that are fortified with these vitamins. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to efficiently absorb calcium, as is phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, iron and vitamin C.

To learn more about multiple vitamins for menopause and how to stop menopause night sweats, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

By: Patsy Hamilton