A survey into the effectiveness of HRT

A new customer survey by DR.VEGAN^® of 1,526 women going through all stages of menopause reveals how changes in diet, lifestyle, supplements and HRT can be effective in supporting women through menopause.

MenoFriend^® has been enjoyed by over 50,000 women and is a popular menopause supplement because our customer surveys show it can be effective. However, one truism when it comes to menopause is that there is rarely one solution that fits all, and not all solutions will work for everyone in the same way. While some women sail through menopause with no symptoms at all, a customer survey by DR.VEGAN^® showed that on average women will experience 10 symptoms of menopause, and that women can experience up to 30 symptoms or more. Whether symptoms are mild or severe, a range of remedies is often needed to support women through menopause, from changing your diet and avoiding certain foods and drinks, exercising and making lifestyle changes, to taking HRT or supplements.

The most common symptoms of menopause

The new customer survey follows previous research in 2022 among 1,029 women that revealed the scale of the mental health effects of menopause. In this new customer survey by DR.VEGAN^®, brain fog was again cited as the most common symptom of menopause, affecting over 80% of women. The customer survey revealed that anxiety and mood swings, fatigue, hot flushes or night sweats, and poor sleep or insomnia were among the top five symptoms of menopause, and three-quarters of women experienced one or more of these symptoms. In addition to these symptoms, more than half of women suffered one or more symptoms of joint pain, weight gain, bloating, low libido and low self-esteem.

The customer survey highlights the 18 symptoms of menopause that were experienced by more than a third of the 1,526 women:

	Symptoms of menopause	Proportion affected
1	Brain fog	82%
2	Anxiety or mood swings	80%
3	Fatigue	79%
4	Hot flushes or night sweats	75%
5	Poor sleep or insomnia	74%
6	Joint aches or pain	70%
7	Weight gain	69%
8	Bloating	66%
9	Low libido	63%
10	Low self-esteem	57%
11	Dry eyes or mouth	43%
12	Heart palpitations	42%
13	Vaginal dryness	40%
14	Hair loss or thinning	39%
15	Frequent headaches	35%
16	Restless legs	35%
17	Mild or severe IBS	35%
18	Period changes	34%

Other symptoms of menopause that affected more than 10% of the women include what people may consider unusual symptoms of menopause, however they can impact quality of life at least as much as more common symptoms. These include cold flushes or shivers, changes in body odour, formication (itchiness or the feelings of insects crawling on your skin), tinnitus, changing spatial awareness, electric shocks, nausea, UTIs (urinary tract infections), swollen legs or hands, gum disease and vaginal infections. You may also be interested in reading ‘How to prevent a UTI’. 

Remedies for menopause symptoms

Changing diet

The DR.VEGAN^® customer survey examined the changes women made to their diet when going through menopause. Adding certain foods and avoiding other foods and drinks can have a big impact on how the body copes with menopause symptoms.

82% of the 1,526 women in the customer survey said they had made changes to their diet to help with symptoms during menopause, and 66% found these changes to be effective. The most effective changes in diet during menopause were:

• Increasing plants and vegetables: plants contain phytoestrogens, which support the functions of oestrogen in the body.
• Reducing or avoiding alcohol: alcohol contains toxins that impact the liver, which plays a key role in hormone balance. 
• Increasing fibre intake: fibre feeds your gut microbiome, which plays a pivotal role in your energy metabolism and hormone balance. 

Want to improve your diet? Create your FREE Diet Profile.

Other effective changes you can make to your diet include removing dairy or gluten (which are among the most common food intolerances), increasing protein intake through foods such as quinoa and nuts and seeds, and reducing or avoiding caffeine. 

Hormone health expert and nutritionist, Dr. Katie Hodgkinson, explains more about how your diet can help in ‘Best nutrition for the menopause’. If you’re experiencing bloating, IBS, constipation, acid reflux or other changes in your gut health, get in touch with our nutritionists or create your free Diet Profile, which provides a window into your diet, showing you the nutrients your diet provides, what you're missing, and how you compare to thousands of other people. 

Exercise

Studies show that exercise is important during menopause and combating health risks post-menopause, including the risks of osteoporosis. Bone density is lost by up to 3% each year in post-menopausal women, which is up to 30% in 10 years. Exercise supports muscle health, in turn helping combat joint aches, and studies show that 94% of people find that just going for a walk can help relieve anxiety and stress. Learn more about why bone health is so important in menopause. 

How effective is MenoFriend^®?

MenoFriend^® is a popular supplement for menopause because customer surveys have consistently shown it can be effective. Available in health food stores, pharmacies and through practitioners, the latest customer survey of 996 women who take or have taken MenoFriend^® showed it was effective for 89% of women when taken for 60 days or more. When asked 'How effective would you say MenoFriend^® has been in supporting you through menopause?', 735 women were taking or had taken MenoFriend^® for two months or more, and of those, 35% said it was 'very effective', 54% said it was 'somewhat effective', and 11% said it was either 'not so effective' or 'not effective at all'. 

How MenoFriend^® may support through menopause

The customer survey also highlighted areas during menopause that women said they found MenoFriend^® helped, including:

• Hot flushes or night sweats
• Mood swings 
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Poor sleep or insomnia 
• Joint aches 
• Bloating
• Low self-esteem

MenoFriend^®, which was developed by practitioners and hormone health experts, helps naturally regulate hormonal balance through menopause. It is often the sharp fluctuations in hormones during menopause – rather than their steady decline itself – that can cause many symptoms.

How effective is HRT?

Our customer survey included 577 women who said they take HRT every day, or had taken HRT but had stopped, or who take HRT occasionally. Out of an estimated 13 million women who are currently peri or menopausal in the UK (source: NHS England), less than 20% take HRT, according to data from the NHS Business Services Authority. The research shows that, despite the greater availability of HRT prescriptions, the majority of women still look for natural solutions to manage their way through menopause.  

The most common types of HRT

The customer survey highlighted the most common ways of taking HRT and the proportion of women who choose them. Some of these methods of taking HRT can be combined, depending on the specific HRT prescribed by a GP or healthcare professional:

• A patch on the skin (59%)
• Tablets taken orally (43%)
• Oestrogen gel (34%)
• An implant (3%)
• Oestrogen spray (2%)

The customer survey looked at the effectiveness of HRT among women going through menopause and perimenopause. Overall, among respondents who take or had taken HRT, 68% of the women surveyed said it was effective. When asked 'How effective would you say HRT has been in supporting you through menopause?', 574 women were taking or had taken HRT, and of those, 20% said it was 'very effective', 48% said it was 'somewhat effective', and 32% said it was either not so effective or not effective at all. According to the customer survey, the symptoms of menopause that HRT provided support for were:

• Hot flushes or night sweats
• Mood swings and anxiety
• Brain fog
• Joint aches 
• Poor sleep or insomnia 
• Fatigue
• Vaginal dryness
• Low self-esteem

The customer survey also showed a difference in the effectiveness of HRT between women going through perimenopause and menopause. For example, the consumer survey highlighted that HRT was more effective for hot flushes or night sweats for those in menopause compared to those in perimenopause.

Summary

There is rarely a single remedy for providing support through menopause. Changing diet, taking exercise, adapting one's lifestyle to reduce or avoid alcohol, should always be the first place to start for a comfortable menopause. The customer survey shows that if you’re looking for additional support, then HRT or a supplement can also be effective options.

The DR.VEGAN^® team of nutritionists are always on hand to help and support you if you have any questions about your menopause journey, so please do get in touch.

Discover The Menopause Hub | Resources to support women through all stages of menopause.

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*This article includes data based on a UK survey conducted by DR.VEGAN^® of 996 customers of MenoFriend^®, nationally representative, during January & February 2024. All customer survey findings reflect our own efforts and have not been independently verified or influenced by any external organisations or third-party entities.