The 7 Best Menopause Supplements, Recommended by Experts

• Best Multinutrient Menopause Supplement: New Chapter One Daily Every Woman’s Multivitamin 40+
• Best Natural Menopause Supplement: Metagenics Estrovera
• Best Vitamin D Supplement for Menopause: Nature Made Gummies D3 + K2
• Best Calcium Supplement for Menopause: Now Calcium Citrate
• Best Selenium Supplement for Menopause: Life Extension Super Selenium Complex
• Best Omega-3 Supplement for Menopause: Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega
• Best Collagen Supplement for Menopause: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

Menopause marks the end of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle and the need for birth control. But menopause is also a time when a woman’s risk for heart disease, depression, and bone loss increases.

According to the North American Menopause Society, a woman is in menopause when she has missed her period for 12 months in a row. If you go for 11 months and get a period, the clock starts again.

Menopause is due to aging, resulting in the ovaries decreasing in function. This is accompanied by a drop in estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones. The average age for most women to reach menopause is 51, but it can occur for some women as young as 45 or as old as 55. A woman in menopause can no longer get pregnant.

Some common symptoms of menopause include aging skin, mood changes, vaginal dryness, memory problems, and weight gain. Women may also experience decreased libido, hair loss, and poor sleep. A healthy lifestyle as well as nutrient supplementation can help mitigate some of these symptoms so women can feel their best.

What Happens to a Woman’s Body During Menopause?

As mentioned above, menopause is a natural consequence of aging. A woman’s ovarian reserve has dwindled along with hormones that are normally secreted by the ovaries.

A woman may also have induced menopause, which happens when the ovaries are removed, she has undergone chemotherapy or radiation, or she has used medication that may impair ovarian function.

During menopause, estrogen levels naturally decline, which can have negative effects on heart, metabolic, and bone health. These hormonal changes raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis, to name a few conditions, according to a review published in 2023 in Cell.

Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent in menopausal women than men of the same age, according to a study published in 2022 in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Estrogen deficit in the brain may also lead to mood changes, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and hot flashes, according to a review of herbal supplements published in 2021 in Frontiers of Pharmacology.

How Does Menopause Differ From Perimenopause?

Perimenopause refers to the transition time before a woman’s periods completely stop. While women in perimenopause may experience similar symptoms to those in menopause, menopause is marked by the complete cessation of monthly menstrual cycles for one full year.

Related: Find the 7 best perimenopause supplements

Women in perimenopause are more likely to experience hot flashes, spotting, and night sweats, though women in menopause may experience hot flashes and poor sleep, too. Both groups may see increases in weight, as well as cholesterol and other fats in the blood; declines in sex drive and bone mass; and changes in skin integrity.

Should a Woman’s Nutrition and Supplement Strategy Change During Menopause?

Short answer: yes.

Because the risk for heart disease and weight gain increases in menopause, reducing overall calories may aid in preventing heart disease and unwanted weight gain.

Postmenopausal women with obesity experience better weight loss results and improvements in binge eating when provided dietary interventions versus exercise alone, according to a study published in 2019 in The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Losing weight may help improve symptoms in menopausal women. According to a study published in 2023 in Nutrients, in women with obesity or overweight, losing 11 pounds (5 kilograms) of weight improved the tolerability of hot flashes by 30 percent.

Since menopausal women no longer have monthly menstrual cycles, their need for iron goes down from 18 milligrams (mg) per day to 8 mg per day for women age 50 and over. Most women’s formula supplements for those over 50 will contain less or no iron.

However, calcium requirements increase from 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg per day for women 51 and up to prevent bone loss, though the use of calcium supplementation can be controversial, according to a study published in 2020 in Nutrients. The risk for kidney stones and heart attacks increased by roughly 20 percent in older adults taking calcium.

For women who are lactose intolerant or already have a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis, a calcium supplement may be indicated. Women should talk to their healthcare provider about the pros and cons of supplemental calcium.

Who Shouldn’t Take Menopause Supplements?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that serves as an antioxidant in the body. A study published in 2022 in Nutrients indicated that vitamin E supplementation may relieve common postmenopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, lipids, and vaginal changes. The study suggested doses between 400 and 1,000 mg per day, and more research is needed for consensus.

But since high doses of vitamin E can have a blood-thinning effect, vitamin E supplementation is not advised for women taking blood thinners. More studies are needed to confirm a daily dose for vitamin E.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with poor sleep, depression, sexual dysfunction, and joint pain in postmenopausal women according to the European Menopause and Andropause Society. However, if a woman doesn’t have a vitamin D deficiency, supplementation does not improve symptoms.

A supplement commonly used by women in menopause is rhapontic rhubarb, commonly marketed as ERr731 or Siberian rhubarb. This hormonal-free supplement when combined with saffron was found to reduce hot flashes in peri- and postmenopausal women in a study published in 2023 in Voprosy Pitaniia.

However, because supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, women should check with their healthcare provider before taking any. Herbal preparations or supplements do not have a recommended dietary allowance (RDA), as they aren’t considered essential nutrients in the human diet.

Bottom line: Anyone taking other medications, either prescription or over the counter, needs to be cautious about possible interactions with herbal supplements.

When looking for supplements to relieve menopausal symptoms, make sure they’ve been third-party tested for quality and safety. This means an outside agency has independently tested the supplement and validated that the product contains the ingredients listed on its label.

Look for “NSF” on the label, which stands for National Sanitation Federation, a U.S.-based organization that tests ingredients in supplements for harmful levels of contaminants. This testing ensures that products are safe for consumers.

Supplements without artificial additives, preservatives, or fillers are ideal. If you have particular allergies, are vegan, or follow a gluten-free diet, look for these claims on the label as well.

Protein

Protein is a top priority for menopausal women. While the RDA for women over age 50 is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, women in menopause who are trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass should aim for 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram body weight, according to a study published in 2023 in The Journals of Gerontology.

Groves Azzaro says, “We lose about 1 percent of our muscle mass every year over age 30, so increasing protein is a smart strategy for maintaining muscle mass.” Resistance training should be included along with protein intake for best results.

Groves Azzaro suggests even more protein per kilogram based on a study published in 2024 in Calcified Tissue International. “Ideally, for healthy aging, women should be consuming 1.4 to 1.75 grams per kilogram of ideal body weight,” she explains. Combined with exercise, this may help prevent sarcopenia, or loss of muscle mass and strength.

Fiber

Fiber is important across the lifespan and may reduce the risk of diabetes, according to a review published in 2024.

Fiber intake changes intestinal flora composition, which has a positive effect on metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion. In addition, fiber may positively influence bacterial flora like isoflavonoids such as soy do.

Intestinal flora impacts estrogen metabolism, which can increase levels of active estrogen in the body. This may help reduce the chance of estrogen deficiency and lessen menopausal symptoms.

According to the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines, women ages 51 and older need 22 grams of fiber per day. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds provide dietary fiber.

A study published in 2020 in Frontiers in Neuroscience indicates that fiber intake is inversely associated with symptoms of depression.

Calcium

Elizabeth Ward, RDN, co-author of The Menopause Diet Plan: A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones, Health, and Happiness, says, “Calcium requirements increase after menopause, and I find that many women need to take a supplement to get to the 1,200 mg per day that's suggested.”

A study published in 2020 in Food & Function found that combining calcium supplements with vitamin D could prevent osteoporosis hip fracture in postmenopausal women better than separate supplements.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a hormone that impacts calcium absorption, in addition to other effects on the body. The RDA for vitamin D is 600 international units per day for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Vitamin D deficiency during menopause can impact the immune system. A review published in 2021 in the Journal of Menopausal Medicine found that aging and the decline in estrogen changes the immune system.

Elevated levels of inflammation and reduced levels of lymphocytes and natural killer cells are seen in menopause. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risks of autoimmune conditions and infection during menopause.

Vitamin D supplementation in menopausal women may improve libido, reduce vaginal dryness, and decrease urinary tract infections, according to a review published in 2023 in Nutrients.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, but plant-based foods such as walnuts and flaxseed also contain them. The dietary reference intake for women is 1,100 mg per day.

These healthy fats may impact mood in menopausal women. A review published in 2022 in Nutrients found that omega-3 supplementation helped reduce depression in menopausal women. A decrease in anxiety was observed in animal models, and more research is needed in this area.

Because postmenopausal women are at a higher risk for cardiovascular events, reducing the risk for blood clots is important. One study published in 2022 in Clinical and Translational Science found that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids in postmenopausal women could help reduce the risk of thrombotic events.

When picking the best supplements, we considered which would be most useful for women during menopause. We reviewed the latest scientific data and also queried nutrition experts on which supplements they trust and suggest for their clients.

All of the chosen supplements are third-party tested for safety and were rated with at least 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. In addition, we considered the cost, quality, and availability of supplements used to reduce symptoms of menopause.