The Benefits of Vitamin E for Menopausal Women

When you’re navigating the intricate world of menopause symptoms, the last place you want to find yourself is standing in front of vitamin options with no idea what to reach for. While vitamins can provide crucial sources of supplemental support throughout menopause, the wide range of options can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Enter vitamin E: with proven reductions in the impact of hot flushes, this is one vitamin you want on regular rotation throughout your menopause years. 

What is vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that works to fight free radicals that can damage cells in the body, directly contributing to reduced inflammation levels. As a result, vitamin E can contribute to healthier immune systems, boost support for eye health, and improve the health of your skin.

Working to reduce stress levels (including oxidative stress), vitamin E can also help with emotional management throughout menopause, reducing the risk of depression. 

Thankfully, vitamin E deficiencies are rare. Since vitamin E is found in a wide range of everyday food sources (including some oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables), you may already have sufficient vitamin E in your everyday diet. This vitamin is also sensitive to heat, so its best health benefits are delivered when it’s consumed in fresh, raw foods. 

Why is vitamin E so helpful during menopause?

If you’re in menopause already, you’ll know just how disruptive some of its symptoms can be. Hot flushes, in particular, can make it challenging to move through each day amongst the uncertainty of when the next one will strike – and how intense it’ll be.

This is where vitamin E can be a great source of support. Since vitamin E can help to reduce both the frequency and severity of hot flushes, making the most of its antioxidative powers can give some relief from this intense menopause symptom. 

Alongside direct support in the reduction of hot flushes, vitamin E can also help to improve the resilience and health of our skin, offsetting some of the impact of declining hormone levels. It’s common for skin to lose both elasticity and hydration during menopause, as decreased oestrogen levels can result in increased dryness and visible signs of ageing. Adopting a regular practice of incorporating vitamin E into your diet can help boost your skin’s health, thanks to its moisturising, nourishing impact.

Antioxidants can also be crucial when it comes to balancing emotional wellbeing throughout menopause. Since mood swings, heightened anxiety, and an increased risk of depression are common to menopause experiences, vitamin E’s antioxidant support for regulating hormonal mood changes can be vital. 

 

Find support for your nutritional needs throughout menopause with the expert team at the Australian Menopause Centre.

 

How to incorporate more vitamin E into your daily routine

While many of us already have enough vitamin E in our regular diets, increasing your intake is a simple way to make sure your body’s getting the support it needs throughout your menopause years. Doing so doesn’t require a lot of work – in fact, with vitamin E present in many common food sources, this can simply be a matter of mindfully tweaking your diet to suit.

Look for vitamin E in:

• The nuts and seeds you snack on. A bag of nuts in your bag can be a powerhouse tool when it comes to reducing the impact of menopause. Almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds are all great sources of vitamin E, as are brazil nuts and pine nuts.
• The oils you cook with and consume. Even just changing the oil you cook with daily can give you bonus boosts of vitamin E in your regular diet. Sunflower oil and olive oil are both natural sources of vitamin E, as well as delivering other healthy fats into your diet.
• The amount of leafy greens you eat. Yes, spinach and broccoli will never stop being good for you! By adding more greens into your daily meals, you can incorporate greater levels of vitamin E without a second thought.

If you’re still struggling to hit the vitamin E levels you require, a supplement is one way you can make sure you’re receiving enough of this necessary vitamin. This is an important discussion to have with your healthcare provider, who can make sure any supplements you’re taking are complementary to any existing medications or health considerations. 

Other useful vitamins during menopause

Vitamin E is a star player during menopause, but it’s not the only vitamin that offers valuable support during this season of change. Incorporating other menopause-friendly vitamins into your regular diet is an easy way to give your health the best resources possible in the midst of menopause symptoms. These include:

• Vitamin D. As vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, this vitamin’s support for bone health is an important asset during menopause, when the risk of osteoporosis increases. 
• Vitamin C. It’s commonly known that vitamin C can help boost our immune systems (there’s a reason we encourage young children to take it!), but along with this crucial support, vitamin C also works as a health-boosting antioxidant. Encouraging increased collagen production, this is one vitamin that can help offset the impact of menopause on the health of our skin.
• Vitamin B6. Essential to producing serotonin, vitamin B6 can be key to increasing feelings of happiness and positivity throughout menopause’s fluctuating mood swings. This mood-stabilising vitamin can be valuable to everyone in all phases of life, but particularly during menopause’s uncertainties, it can be more important than ever to receive enough B6 in your daily intake.

Conclusion

Finding your way through menopause’s symptoms is far from an easy journey, but with the right tools and resources, you can lessen the impact it has on your overall health and wellbeing. Incorporating vitamin E into your daily diet is one way you can reduce the impact of menopause symptoms and decrease the intensity, or frequency, of hot flushes.

Looking for more support for your health and wellness during menopause? Speak with the team at the Australian Menopause Centre to discover our holistic treatment pathways. We’re here to support you in every aspect of your menopause experience.