When we get older as women, we will eventually reach the years of perimenopause and then menopause, where our hormonal balance will change. For a majority of women, this leads to unpleasant side effects over the years, which I’m sure most of us would like to avoid.
So how do you make the years of perimenopause and menopause as comfortable as possible, and how can amino acids, diet and supplements help support my hormones? You might wonder.
Amino acids can help you ease your symptoms and support your body during perimenopause and menopause. Some of the supporting amino acids include L-Glutamine, L-Glutathione, BCAA’s, L-Arginine and L-Carnitine combined with a healthy diet and other supplements as well.
Before getting into how we can support our hormonal balance as we age, let me dive into how amino acids are constructed and how we utilize them in our bodies.
What Are Amino Acids?
There are hundreds of different amino acids found in protein sources. When we eat protein our enzymes break down the amino acids, in order to absorb them for the specific purpose it serves in our body. This is also called protein synthesis.
Amino acids are responsible for:
- Breaking down food
- Repairing tissue and building muscle
- Part of the immune system
- Helping hormones and neurotransmitters send signals between cells
- Functioning as antioxidants
- Sustaining a healthy digestion
Amino acids, which are responsible for sending signals between hormones and cells, are capable of helping us during menopause. These amino acids are divided into two categories, essential and non-essential amino acids, which I’ll cover in the following.
Essential And Non-Essential Amino Acids
Our bodies are dependent on 20 different amino acids, where nine of them are essential amino acids. The non-essential amino acids our body can produce ourselves when in balance. The essential amino acids we need through diet or supplementation.
The essential amino acids:
- Histidine
- Branched Chained Amino Acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Valine) also called BCAA’s
- Methionine
- Lysine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
The non-essential amino acids:
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Aspargine
- Aspartic Acid
- Cysteine
- Cystin
- Glutamic Acid
- Glutamine
- Serine
- Taurine
- Glycine
- Proline
In order to get enough of the essential amino acids we must obtain a diet high in protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Vitamins and minerals from fruits, vegetables or supplementation are just as important since they help with the uptake of amino acids in our body.
As mentioned earlier, amino acids, both essential and non-essential, are capable of helping us during menopause. Which of the amino acids are helpful during menopause? I’ll cover this later in this article.
If you want to learn more about the effect on our hormones in general, you can read more about it here.
When reaching perimenopause and menopause we’ll experience hormonal changes – the question is just ‘How?’ If you are in the phase of perimenopause or menopause, finding the root cause of your hormonal changes, before getting into how we treat it, would be best practice for you.
What Happens With Our Hormones When Reaching Menopause?
When we’re entering perimenopause it’s typically around age 39-55. The age of menopause is typically at the age between 45-55. Usually, menopause is defined as when women haven’t had their period in 12 months.
At the beginning of perimenopause, the hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal axis (HPG) starts changing the hormonal levels and signals.
When the hypothalamus secretes Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), it binds to the anterior pituitary gland. This stimulates and releases the luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
LH and FSH then travel through the bloodstream to the ovaries, where it stimulates the production of steroid hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. Entering perimenopause our ovarian follicles reduce and we will basically produce less estrogen and progesterone. Therefore, when we age, we produce fewer steroid hormones, which will lead to the loss of our period in the end.
As a disclaimer, all women are different and will experience different symptoms and changes in hormonal levels – why you cannot compare age, symptoms or how your hormones act compared to your friend.
If you’re in doubt, I’ll always recommend getting tested to find the right treatment for you.
Before diving into lifestyle changes and supplementation, such as amino acids, let me cover the symptoms you have to be aware of.
Symptoms Of Perimenopause And Menopause
During perimenopause and menopause, when our hormonal levels change and fluctuate, symptoms might occur such as:
- Irregular periods
- Decreasing fertility
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue
- Acne
- Insomnia
- Mood swings including depression
- Decreased sexual desire
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain
- Slow metabolism
- Thinning hair and dry nails
- Loss of bone density
These are the most common symptoms, but will also depend on lifestyle factors such as a diet rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Other factors include stress levels, body fat index, how your detoxification pathways work and natural supplementation.
How Do I Know If I’m In Menopause?
If you are not sure if you’re entering perimenopause/menopause, or just dealing with unpleasant symptoms, you might think to stem from hormonal changes in general, getting tested is something I would highly recommend.
As a hormonal therapist, I would highly recommend the DUTCH Complete test. This is the most advanced and accurate test on the market. The DUTCH test measures 35 hormones that will provide a clear indicator of steroid hormones, detoxification pathways and cortisol patterns. With the result of your lab test, your therapist will analyze and provide you with a treatment plan in order to balance your hormones during menopause.
If you are curious to learn more about DUTCH test, click the link and I’ll guide you through the process.
Although getting tested is something I highly recommend, I have a few helpful tips on how to support your menopause phase with diet, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and adaptogens.
Are Amino Acids Good For Menopause?
Amino acids can definitely help you ease your symptoms and support your hormones during perimenopause and menopause. The individual need for supplementation depends on what your body needs, but here are some of the supplements I would recommend and why:
L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is a tripeptide of three amino acids and is beneficial in building healthy cells(especially the mucous in the gut) and supporting detoxification, but may also have other benefits including:
- Promotes healthy cell production in the gut
- Ease symptoms of leaky gut, constipation and diarrhea
- Stress management
- Mood swings and depression
- Supports hair and nails
- Brain function and memory
- Withdrawals from alcohol, sugar and coffee
Furthermore, L-Glutamine converts to the neurotransmitter GABA which has a calming effect on the nervous system. Some women may experience more anxiety due to low progesterone and changes in estrogen, which is why L-Glutamine and GABA are a great calming cocktail.
L-Glutathione
L-Glutathione is a tripeptide of three amino acids. It’s one of the most powerful antioxidants that protects our cells, detoxifies chemicals, protects red blood vessels and helps our central nervous system as a neurotransmitter.
Antioxidants are useful in every aspect of protecting our liver, which is responsible for breaking down and eliminating hormones.
BCAA’s
BCAA’s is a combination of three essential amino acids called Isoleucine, Leucine and Valine. They cover up to 45% of our body’s need for amino acids and are some of the most important when repairing cells and muscles.
They provide a source of energy, strength and fast recovery – especially when used during exercise. They help in times of stress and energy deficiency which is needed as we age. BCAA’s are dependent on vitamin B1, B2, B6 B9 and magnesium in order to be properly absorbed.
L-Arginine
L-Arginine is a semi-non-essential amino acid, which means we produce it ourselves, but often not enough. It’s primarily used to turn fat in cells into energy and regulate the pituitary gland which helps the production of growth hormone and creatine. Creatine is beneficial for providing energy in our muscles and regulating our nervous system.
L-Arginine protects our immune system and promotes healthy cardiovascular function. It helps our liver detoxify ammonia and promotes healthy sexual function in men and women – which is beneficial due to fluctuations in hormones that often cause less sexual desire. Other than that it’s also beneficial for healthy bone density and collagen synthesis, which promotes healthy hair, skin and nails.
L-Carnitine
Like L-Arginine, L-Carnitine is responsible for repairing and building muscle, as well as turning fat in our cells into energy – which is beneficial for metabolism and fatigue. L-Carnitine needs vitamin C in order to be properly absorbed.
In my opinion, as a hormonal therapist, amino acids are not a stand-alone treatment. Even though amino acids through diet and supplementation will ease symptoms, I’ll always recommend other supplements as well. This is for the optimal effect of easing menopause symptoms and hormonal imbalance.
What Are The Best Supplements For Menopause?
Other natural supplements that may help you during menopause to ease your symptoms and balance your hormones include:
- Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex)
- Red Clover
- MACA
- Cordyceps
- Ashwagandha
- Vitamin B6/P5P
- DIM and I3C
- Magnesium
- Evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil
- Tribulus
- Coenzyme Q10
As mentioned earlier – which kinds of supplements you might need depends on your hormonal status. Amino acids are helpful during perimenopause and menopause combined with other supplements.
If you’re in doubt whether or not you’re going through perimenopause/menopause and want to do lab testing – you’re more than welcome to click the link and I’ll guide you through the process.
