Mood Swings and Probiotics – Feel Happier in Menopause
Sure, mood swings have always been a part of our lives as women mood swings in menopause can be far more disruptive. In fact, it is probably one of the most common symptoms, along with hot flashes and night sweats but we now know that there are a few things we can do to balance mood and reduce symptoms of menopause with the right blend of probiotics. Emotional reactions are common in menopause, just because all the things and symptoms you experience might overwhelm you. But if your mood changes abruptly and you feel mostly sad and anxious, it is time to take action and heal your symptoms. Luckily, studies on mood swings and probiotics in menopause can shed some light on how you can do it.
For some women, changes in the mood can be the first symptom they have in menopause. They can become irritable, anxious, or even depressed. They may also have problems with sleep and feel sad and wanting to cry out of nowhere. These changes in the body, just like your skin problems, low sex drive, or frequent vaginal infections, are related to declining levels of estrogen in your body. Balance starts in your microbiome by increasing the good bacteria in your gut. Over the past several decades scientific advances have identified that that specific probiotic strains working together can reduce the impact of perimenopause and menopause symptoms. The most advanced formula available on the market is the 28 ingredient complete women's probiotic MenoFit that includes phytoestrogens, vitamins and minerals essential for women.
There is a relationship between the amount of estrogen in women’s bodies and the ability to manage hormones of happiness and depression. As a result, low estrogen may lead to stress, tiredness, anxiety, lack of focus, and sudden changes in your mood. If you are generally a moody person, the shifts in your hormones during menopause would only make matters worse. And when symptoms build on top of each other, you might feel like you cannot deal with all of them.
How to Support Mood Swing Relief in Menopause
Being sad for no reason should not become your normal state of being and it does't need to be. Instead, it is something that you can improve, something you can take full control over. Increasing activity, improving gut health with probiotics, adding key vitamins can help. Some remedies you can use to help improve the symptoms of mood swings, no matter how severe they are. Check out these options as alternative or complementary support supplements for mood swings and other symptoms of menopause. Here are just a few things you can try to find relief.
Take St. John’s Wort
This herb is mostly known for its ability to help with depression symptoms; therefore, it might be very useful for your mood swings. It is a natural solution that you can use as a supplemental therapy or try it by itself. Speak to your doctor about the dosage recommendations.
Take Time to Relax Every Day
When you are moody, the best way to get your focus back on track is to try your best to relax, rest, and recharge. Try to get more rest in general and do not skip on sleep, because lack of sleep will only make you feel more tired and as a result. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises to help you relieve stress.
Exercise Every Day
Working out is such a powerful thing to do. It makes your body younger, healthier, and stronger in so many ways. Apart from that, regular exercise is known to improve sleep, sex drive, mood, energy, mental alertness, weight, and heart health (1). Try any activities that bring you joy like dancing, swimming, walking, jogging, and so on. You do not only have to do weights or cardio to keep yourself in good physical and mental shape. It is not obligatory, even though they are also beneficial for you.
Get a Vitamin D Supplement
In the summer, you get plenty of the “sunshine vitamin” when you go outside without sunscreen lotion. But as the days get gloomier with the fall and winter seasons, many people become deficient in this vitamin. It is not only essential for your bone health, but it can also regulate your mood. Try to get 15-20 minutes of the sun every day or supplement with at least 400IU daily. The right multi-vitamin can augment a vitamin D deficiency or consider a more complete approach by adding a complete supplement with menopause vitamins and probiotics to improve the overall effectiveness. We also recommend increasing your daily intake of fiber to greatly impact the effectiveness of your probiotics and support your bodies ability to process vitamins and micronutrients.
Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is beneficial for women who have tried many things but still suffer from stubborn and severe mood changes in menopause. This therapy engages you to talk in order to help you find relief from the feelings of sadness and anxiety. Speak to your doctor if this is something that you would want to try doing for curing your symptoms.
Healing Mood Swings with Probiotics
Many women look for natural remedies for their symptoms because hormonal therapies come with unwanted side effects. For example, HRT, a common treatment option for menopause symptoms, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, and other related health concerns. As a result, studies published on probiotics and mood swings have gained popularity in recent years. This study has found that an improvement in mood after using probiotics in their subjects for six weeks (2). The results showed lower depression, tiredness, and anger, and even better quality of sleep.
Using probiotics for curing mood problems has been around for a while, and not just concerning menopause symptoms. In this study, the authors review the current literature on probiotics for curing depression and improving mood (3). Most of the studies have shown a positive effect on the benefits of probiotics on anxiety and mood issues. But for different symptoms, different dosages and strains of bacteria were at work. So, if you feel sad and anxious with the onset of menopause, probiotics could help with relieving your symptoms and lifting your mood.
Where to Get Probiotics for Your Mood Swings
Probiotic bacteria are not so hard to find even among the foods you can buy from your local grocery store. If you ever ate sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, or live yogurt, or drank kombucha, you might know about the probiotic properties of these products. And if you are not a big fan of fermented foods, you can always get the most out of probiotic bacteria by using a supplement.
(1) Ashish Sharma, Vishal Madaan, and Frederick Petty. “Exercise for Mental Health.”
(2) Angela Marotta et al. “Effects of Probiotics on Cognitive Reactivity, Mood, and Sleep Quality.”
(3) Caroline Wallace and Roumen Milev. “The effects of probiotics on depressive symptoms in humans: a systematic review.”
