MenoFriend^® & HRT – How they compare in relieving menopause symptoms

New research by DR.VEGAN^® of 1,526 women going through all stages of menopause reveals the effectiveness of MenoFriend^® in relieving symptoms of menopause and how it compares to the effectiveness of HRT.

MenoFriend^® is taken by over 40,000 women and is one of the fastest growing natural menopause supplements because it is so effective. But how does it compare to other remedies, including changing diet, and taking HRT? One truism when it comes to menopause is that there is rarely one solution that fits all. While some women sail through menopause with no symptoms at all, on average women will experience 10 symptoms of menopause, and up to 30 symptoms or more. Whether symptoms are mild or severe, a range of remedies is often needed for the most effective relief, from changing your diet and avoiding certain foods and drinks, exercising and making lifestyle changes, to taking natural supplements and in some cases, taking HRT.

The most common symptoms of menopause

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

The research highlights the 18 most common symptoms of menopause that are experienced by more than a third of 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 affect more than 10% of 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. 

If you’re experiencing vaginal dryness, frequent UTIs or vaginal infections, we recommend pH Hero^®, the advanced formula developed by practitioners, including live cultures (probiotics), prebiotics and botanical extracts for rebalancing the vaginal microbiome with healthy active bacteria to combat dryness, UTIs and infections. You may also be interested in reading ‘How to prevent a UTI’.

The best remedies for menopause symptoms

Changing diet

The DR.VEGAN^® research 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 your body copes with menopause symptoms.

82% of the 1,526 women in the study had made changes to their diet to relieve symptoms during menopause, and 66% found these changes to be effective. The most effective changes in diet during menopause are:

• 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, we recommend Gut Works^®, the multi award-winning probiotic with 50bn CFU of six clinically studied strains of healthy, active bacteria. Gut Works^® has been shown in research to be 3x more effective than standard probiotics and 88% of people who take Gut Works^® enjoy relief within 4 weeks. If you're seeking free expert nutritionist advice, 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 for relieving symptoms of 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 research shows that 94% of people find that just going for a walk helps relieve anxiety and stress. Learn more about why bone health is so important in menopause. 

How effective is MenoFriend^®?

The award-winning MenoFriend^® is one of the most popular natural supplements for menopause because research consistently shows it is effective.  Available in leading pharmacies and health food stores, the latest research of 996 women taking MenoFriend^® showed it was effective for 89% of women when taken for 60 days or more.

The most common symptoms MenoFriend^® provides relief from

The research also highlights the most common symptoms MenoFriend^® provides relief from when taken for 60 days or more:

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

MenoFriend^®, which was developed by practitioners and hormone health experts, can also relieve other symptoms of menopause including cold flushes, vaginal dryness, low libido, dry eyes or mouth, heart palpitations, weight gain and others. With phytoestrogens, botanicals, vitamins and minerals in therapeutic dosages, MenoFriend^® naturally regulates hormonal balance through menopause. It is the sharp fluctuations in hormones during menopause – rather than their steady decline itself – that cause many symptoms.

MenoFriend^® provides clinically studied botanical extracts and nutrients that improve energy, cognition, mental performance, mobility, sleep, joint health and daily vitality. Discover MenoFriend^® today so you can thrive through menopause.

How effective is HRT?

The DR.VEGAN^® research studied 577 women who either take HRT every day, who used to take HRT but have stopped and 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 type of HRT

Here are 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.

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

The research looked at the effectiveness of HRT among women going through menopause and perimenopause. Overall, HRT was found to be effective for 68% of the women surveyed, which compares to 89% who found MenoFriend^® to be effective. According to the research, the most common symptoms of menopause that HRT provided relief from were:

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

The research also showed a difference in the effectiveness of HRT between women going through perimenopause and menopause. HRT was found to be 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 relieving all the symptoms associated with menopause. Changing your diet, taking exercise, adapting your lifestyle to reduce or avoid alcohol, should always be the first place to start to address symptoms. The research shows that if you’re looking for additional support, then a natural supplement like MenoFriend^® is the best place to start, while HRT may also provide effective relief for some. MenoFriend^® can also be taken alongside HRT to relieve symptoms of menopause where HRT doesn’t.

The DR.VEGAN^® team of expert 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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*UK survey based on responses from 1,526 women, nationally representative, during January 2024, of which 996 were women taking MenoFriend^®.