Written by the Smart Solutions Education Team

Menopause is not a disease but a natural transition whereby periods stop. The average age of menopause for Canadian women is 49.8 years¹. One difference between a woman going through menopause with ALL the symptoms VS a woman sailing through symptom free comes down to her adrenal health². Once your ovaries shut down at menopause your adrenals will kick in and make estrogen, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone and progesterone³. If you are chronically stressed your adrenals will not be able to take over the function of making your hormones at menopause⁴.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue include: 

• Difficulty handling stress
• Inability to concentrate
• Carbohydrate cravings⁵
• You fall asleep fine but wake up several hours later and can’t fall back to sleep
• Irritability
• Fatigue 

Reduce stress, get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and take Adrenasmart to reduce fatigue and sleeplessness.  

Never-Ending Symptoms and Low Thyroid 

The thyroid is the master conductor of all of your hormones. Low thyroid is an epidemic in Canada today with 9.8% already taking medication¹³. Symptoms of low thyroid include: weight gain, thinning hair, feeling cold, constipation, dry skin, and menopause symptoms⁸. The adrenals and thyroid communicate with one another⁹. When our adrenals become exhausted our thyroid does not function well and vice versa¹⁴. The range of “normal” is quite vast when looking at your TSH levels. Understand that if you are experiencing symptoms, they are valid and deserve recognition. A natural supplement that promotes normal function of the thyroid gland is Thyrosmart, a Health Canada licensed supplement. Thyrosmart is a holistic formula based on current research. The ingredients are designed to support optimal thyroid health. Thyrosmart is a safe, easy to use, supplement.

Halt Hot Flashes & Night Sweats 

Thankfully, the menopause transition should run smoothly if your adrenals and thyroid are supported. If you do suffer with hot flashes and night sweats you will want to add a hot flash formula to help relieve these symptoms. Menosmart+ contains herbs to help relieve hot flashes and night sweats and support the body throughout menopause. Menosmart+ taken at breakfast and bedtime will help to reduce the common symptoms of menopause. Menosmart+ has the addition of Chastetree Berry (Vitex agnus-castus), used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flushes^15.  

 References: 

1. Velez MP, Alvarado BE, Rosendaal N, et al. (2019) Age at natural menopause and physical functioning in postmenopausal women: the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging [published online ahead of print, 2019 May 20]. Menopause. 2019;10.1097/GME.0000000000001362. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001362
2. Lasley, B. L., Crawford, S. L., & McConnell, D. S. (2013). Ovarian adrenal interactions during the menopausal transition. Minerva ginecologica, 65(6), 641–651.
3. Woods, N. F., Mitchell, E. S., & Smith-Dijulio, K. (2009). Cortisol levels during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 16(4), 708–718. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e318198d6b2
4. Naturopathic Doctor News and Review. The Relationship Between Adrenal Function and Menopausal Symptoms. Accessed: 05/03/2020 at:https://ndnr.com/womens-health/the-relationship-between-adrenal-function-and-menopausal-symptoms-2/ 
5. Ventura, T., Santander, J., Torres, R., & Contreras, A. (2014). Neurobiologicbasis of craving for carbohydrates. Nutrition, 30(3), 252–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.06.010 
6. Woods, N., Carr, M. Tao, E.; Taylor, H., & Mitchell, E. (2006). Increased urinary cortisol levels during the menopause transition. Menopause: March-April 2006 - Volume 13 - Issue 2 - p 212-221 doi: 10.1097/01.gme.0000198490.57242.2 
7. Pasquali, R., Vicennati, V., Cacciari, M., & Pagotto, U. (2006). The Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis Activity in Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1083(1), 111–128. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1367.009
8. Mayo Clinic. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid): Symptoms and Causes. Accessed: 05/03/2020 at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/hypothyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20350284
9. Mariotti S, Beck-Peccoz P. Physiology of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., eds. Endotext. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000
10. Helmreich, Dana & Parfitt, D.B. & Lu, X-Y & Akil, Huda & Watson, J..(2005). Relation between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) Axis and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis during Repeated Stress. Neuroendocrinology. 81. 183-92. 10.1159/000087001. 
11. Bommer S, Klein P, Suter A. First time proof of sage's tolerability and efficacy in menopausal​ women with hot flushes. Adv Ther. 2011;28(6):490–500. doi:10.1007/s12325-011-0027-z​
12. Pasquali, R., Vicennati, V., Cacciari, M., & Pagotto, U. (2006). The Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis Activity in Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1083(1), 111–128. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1367.009
13. Statistics Canada. Top five prescription medications used, by sex, age group and medication class, household population aged 25 to 79, Canada, 2007 to 2011: Table 4. Accessed 05/03/2020 at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2014006/article/14032/tbl/tbl4-eng.htm
14. Patil N, Rehman A, Jialal I. Hypothyroidism. [Updated 2020 Feb 20]. In: StatPearls[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519536/ 
15. Geller, S. E., & Studee, L. (2005). Botanical and dietary supplements for menopausal symptoms: what works, what does not. Journal of women's health (2002), 14(7), 634–649. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2005.14.634