The CIHAS Guide to Perimenopause Nutrition - Part 1

So, we have established that the perimenopause-industrial-complex thrives on female hypercapitalist individualism. You have a problem? Capitalism wants you to believe it has the answer because, hello, that’s its whole MO. Alienation and existential dread? We have a supplement for that!

And. Because nutrition is never straightforwardly black or white I want to keep an open mind about the potential of some of these supplements to actually bring some relief and make the experience of perimenopause feel more manageable. 

My hope, with this guide, is to help you cut through the noise and find nutrition-related strategies that are clear, evidence-based, and rooted in gentle nutrition rather than diet culture. That said, I want to be realistic about what nutrition can accomplish; it’s not a panacea. Even with the most ‘optimised’ nutrition in the world, there will undoubtedly be good days and bad days. 

Something to hold in mind when reading through the evidence base is that most studies don’t differentiate between people who are pre- and post-menopausal. They may just study an age range of people who would be broadly in that phase of life. This means that there are very few recommendations that are for perimenopause per se and more broad recommendations for people in mid-life. This is another reason why we should be skeptical of things that specifically claim to be for peri, in and of itself. Remember there’s no definitive biochemical test, so unless participants have had a peri diagnosis, the researchers are going on vibes. 

From my foray into the perimenopause space, one thing is clear: you are expected to throw everything at the problem. Supplements, sleep, exercise, protein powder, adaptogens, HRT, and on and on and on. 

Case in point:

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The instinct to throw everything at it makes sense in the context of hustle and optimisation culture. We treat our bodies like an investment; the more we sink on it, the higher the return. But doing the most doesn’t always translate into feeling better. Sometimes it gives us a sense of ‘control’ or ‘empowerment’; it’s the Girl Boss approach to peri. But my experience with clients is that this is short-lived; as soon as life gets busy, trying to keep on top of everything becomes a source of stress and anxiety. 

This is why my approach is generally to support people to get some fundamentals in place, including medications and supplements (if indicated) that might be supportive, and build from there. What follows is a critical reading of the literature. This may sometimes read as anti-supplement, and while I’m certainly skeptical about a lot of what follows, I’m not necessarily ruling these things out. I’m letting you know where the evidence currently stands (it’s messy!). Some things are possibly worth a shot more than others but it feels very hard to untangle from the commercial interests and marketing hype. As always, talk to your doctor or a registered nutrition professional before starting supplements. 

I’ve split this CIHAS guide to perimenopause into two parts. Part 1, today, has more of a focus on supplements and strategies that are less well supported by the evidence base. Part 2, next week, will have a focus on gentle nutrition strategies that are perhaps more worth your while. With a massive thanks to Jennifer who helped sift through and make sense of this messy area of research.

Today we’ll start by unpacking Wild Nutrition’s Food Grown Perimenopause Complex. I’m including it for no other reason than it’s aggressively marketed to anyone over the age of 35 and seems to be one of the most popular perisupplements out there. Following that, I’ll cover some general supplements that get recommended for peri and what we do and don’t know about them.

Wild Nutrition’s Food Grown Perimenopause Complex

This supplement is marketed hard across Instagram and makes some bold claims – hormone regulation, reduction of fatigue, cognitive health, normal mood, nervous system support, immune support – is there anything it can’t do? The supplement costs £36.00 for a month’s supply, or £28.80/month if you subscribe. That’s £345.60 for the whole year. 

Let’s look at the included nutrients:

• Vitamin B6
• Pantothenic Acid
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Molybdenum
• N-Acetyl L-Cysteine
• Shatavari Powder
• Saffron

Let’s have a quick look at each: