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Menopause and joint pain: causes and remedies
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her menstrual cycle permanently stops. This process is triggered by a decrease in hormone production, particularly estrogen and progesterone. That decrease can cause a range of symptoms, including joint pain. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the causes and remedies.
What is menopause?
Menopause itself begins when you have gone 12 months without a cycle or menstruation. It marks the end of your reproductive years. This is a permanent situation: at this point, the production of your sex hormones has completely stopped. The average age for this stage is 51, but many women experience symptoms years in advance. In fact, over 70% of women experience symptoms (Depypere, 2024). The first symptoms can occur around the age of 45, and for some women, even earlier. This period is called perimenopause.
Menopause is a permanent condition: at this point, the production of your sex hormones has completely stopped and will not return. Since each sex hormone has specific functions, it is understandable that many symptoms can arise.
For instance, estrogen has anti-inflammatory properties, protects our cartilage, and supports bone health. This is why joint pain is a common complaint during menopause.
What symptoms can you experience during (peri)menopause?
The possible symptoms you may experience during (peri)menopause can vary greatly and are different for every woman. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Sleep problems due to insomnia
- Mood swings and feelings of depression or anxiety
- Vaginal dryness and reduced libido
- Weight gain, especially around the abdominal area
- Reduced concentration and memory problems, also known as 'brain fog'
- Rapidly aging skin and thinning or more brittle hair
- And last but not least: joint pain and muscle stiffness
How does joint pain arise during (peri)menopause?
Women in (peri)menopause often experience stiffness, especially in the mornings, and joint pain. This commonly occurs in the hands, knees, hips, and shoulders. The pain can range from mild to severe. For example, shoulder inflammation is a frequent complaint among women in (peri)menopause (Yoon et al., 2018). However, when dealing with such inflammation, the connection to hormonal changes is not always immediately apparent.
Yet, the explanation for joint pain during (peri)menopause is quite logical. The sex hormone estrogen has an anti-inflammatory effect. When estrogen levels decrease, joint inflammation can increase.
In addition, estrogen plays a role in maintaining cartilage, which protects the joints. During menopause, the loss of estrogen can lead to cartilage breakdown, resulting in increased friction and pain in the joints.
Lastly, estrogen also supports good bone health. Although this primarily relates to bones rather than joints, maintaining healthy bones is important for joint stability and preventing joint pain that can be linked to bone health.
What can you do about joint pain during menopause?
To relieve joint pain during menopause, you can implement various strategies. Think of regular exercise, a healthy diet, and possibly the use of anti-inflammatory supplements.
The key is to keep moving
Exercise and a healthy diet are, as always, the two cornerstones of Insentials: they always form the foundation. Even with joint pain, it’s important to keep moving. Exercise can help alleviate this type of pain during menopause in various ways:
- It strengthens the muscles around your joints.
- It helps keep your joints flexible.
- It stimulates local blood circulation, which can reduce swelling and inflammation, thus relieving pain.
- It can aid in weight control, as excess weight can put additional pressure on the joints.
- Exercise itself has an anti-inflammatory effect. Aerobic activities or moderate-intensity exercises like walking, swimming, and cycling are ideal for this.
- Physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers.
- Lastly, exercise reduces stress. Stress management during menopause can positively impact your hormone metabolism and, indirectly, menopausal symptoms like joint pain.
Healthy nutrition
During (peri)menopause, it is especially important to take care of your liver. The liver plays a crucial role in your hormone metabolism. It is responsible for the breakdown, conversion, and excretion of various hormones, helping to regulate their concentrations in the blood. Disruptions in liver function can therefore lead to more severe (peri)menopausal symptoms.
Start by focusing on smaller portions and fewer eating moments. Try to incorporate longer breaks between meals. Fasting can have an anti-inflammatory effect for many people (Song & Kim, 2023). Estrogen has anti-inflammatory properties, and since estrogen production decreases or even stops during (peri)menopause, fasting may offer extra support. However, we do not recommend skipping breakfast, as it remains the most important meal of the day. Overnight fasting can be a good example—have your last meal before 6 PM and eat again at breakfast the next day.
It is best to choose unprocessed and plant-based foods as much as possible. It's also better to avoid red meat whenever possible. Make sure to eat plenty of vegetables, preferably in a wide range of colors. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts play a key role in a healthy diet that supports your hormone production.
These vegetables help us absorb more sulforaphane and DIM. These names might not sound familiar, so let's take a closer look at them.
Sulforaphane
Sulforaphane is formed through the enzymatic conversion of glucoraphanin, a compound found primarily in broccoli and broccoli sprouts. However, it is also present in other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips, watercress, and radishes. Some studies suggest that sulforaphane has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. There is growing evidence that it may affect the hormonal system (Zhang & Talalay, 2016; Meyer & Larsson, 2018). One study found that women with a higher intake of sulforaphane experienced fewer menopausal symptoms (Nomura et al., 2017).
DIM or Diindolylmethane
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain the compound 'indole-3-carbinol' or I3C. I3C is then converted in our bodies into its better-known variant, DIM or diindolylmethane. This compound is often praised in scientific literature for its potential health benefits, particularly regarding hormonal balance and specifically estrogen metabolism (Rajoria et al., 2011; Godínez-Martínez et al., 2022; Morales-Prieto et al., 2018; Zeligs et al., 2005).
Broccoli
According to some studies, both sulforaphane and DIM support the detoxification process that occurs in our liver. This detoxification is not only important for eliminating toxins such as alcohol, medications, or caffeine, but also for hormone metabolism, as it helps break down, deactivate, and excrete both endogenous and exogenous hormones and hormone-like substances. In this way, proper detoxification supports overall hormonal health, particularly estrogen metabolism.
Our liver undergoes three phases of detoxification, each with its own essential function. These phases are also explained in the second book Lang zal je lever by Amandine De Paepe (2024), nutrition scientist and founder of Insentials.
As mentioned above, the liver has a detoxifying function. This detoxification process occurs in three different phases. In the first step (detoxification), the liver chemically alters toxic substances to make them easier to break down. This is the ignition of the detoxification process. In the next phase (conjugation), the substances are combined with other molecules to make them less harmful. In the third and final phase (elimination), the compounds are excreted through your urine and bile. In short, each phase has its own function and is essential.
According to research, both sulforaphane and DIM may support the first two phases of the liver’s detoxification process (Jeffery et al., 2003; Fahey & Talalay, 1999).
Be cautious with anti-inflammatory drugs
In addition to healthy nutrition and sufficient exercise, you can also focus on extra support through supplementation. Often, we resort to anti-inflammatory painkillers and NSAIDs for joint pain. It’s best to consult with your doctor to determine whether these medications are truly necessary. Such medications put additional strain on the liver. Considering the liver’s important role in hormone metabolism, it’s essential to use these drugs with caution.
Considering that the liver plays a crucial role in our hormone metabolism, it’s evident that we should avoid additional strain as much as possible during (peri)menopause.
Otherwise, you risk entering a vicious cycle.
Insentials Meno Move
Insentials developed the Meno Move supplement specifically for menopausal women who are staying active.
Broccoli extract
Broccoli extract contains natural compounds such as sulforaphane and DIM (diindolylmethane), which are being studied for their potential to support estrogen receptors. Broccoli extract is a natural source of bioactive substances. You can combine it with Detox Boost, Fat Burner, and/or Balance² Me, which also positively influences your hormone metabolism.
95% curcumin
Insentials Meno Move also contains an exceptionally high concentration of the active compound curcumin: 95%. You’ll also find this in Insentials Ultra Move.
It’s this curcumin that gives turmeric, which you may have in your kitchen, its bright yellow color. Curcuma longa helps maintain the health of joints and bones and has important antioxidant properties. It prevents the accumulation of fats and facilitates their removal by the liver.*
*The bioavailability of curcumin (or its absorption into your bloodstream) is generally low. Therefore, it is recommended to take curcumin with a meal or snack rich in fat. Think of foods rich in healthy fats, such as avocados, fatty fish, nuts, or eggs.
Black pepper
Another way to potentially increase the absorption of curcumin is by combining it with black pepper or piperine. The addition of black pepper or piperine enhances the effectiveness of other herbal ingredients, including curcumin.** This is exactly why this third ingredient was added to Insentials' Meno Move.
*Health claim pending European approval:
Curcuma longa helps maintain joint and bone health, has important antioxidant properties, prevents the accumulation of fats, and facilitates their removal by the liver. It also helps to keep the liver healthy.
**Health claim pending European approval:
The addition of piperine increases the effectiveness of other herbal ingredients.
Sources:
Depypere, H. (2024). Hoe blijf ik gezond tijdens de menopauze: voorkom dementie, kanker, osteoporose en andere ouderdomsziektes.
Rajoria, S., et al. (2011). 3,3'-diindolylmethane modulates estrogen metabolism in patients with thyroid proliferative disease: a pilot study. Thyroid, 21(3), 299–304. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2010.0245
Shoba, G., et al. (1998). Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Medica, 64(4), 353–356. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957450
Godínez-Martínez, E., et al. (2022). Effectiveness of 3,3′-Diindolylmethane Supplements on Favoring the Benign Estrogen Metabolism Pathway and Decreasing Body Fat in Premenopausal Women. Nutrition and Cancer, 75(2), 510–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2022.2123535
Morales-Prieto, D. M., et al. (2018). Comparison of dienogest effects upon 3,3′–diindolylmethane supplementation in models of endometriosis and clinical cases. Reproductive Biology, 18(3), 252–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbio.2018.07.002
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