Natural health: What can I take for my menopausal anxiety? 

Megan Sheppard gives advice to a perimenopausal woman — and a mother who wants to ease her colicky daughter's pain 

Anxiety is one of the lesser-known (or talked about) symptoms of menopausal changes

I’m perimenopausal and find I feel anxious most of the time. Is there a herbal remedy I could take?

Anxiety is one of the lesser-known (or talked about) symptoms of menopausal changes. Most of us have heard about mood swings, hot flushes, and night sweats — but anxiety, insomnia, palpitations, joint and muscle pain, irritability, depression, brain fog, vaginal dryness, and weight gain are common symptoms.

Hormonal changes are clearly at the root of these issues due to the decrease in oestrogen and progesterone. The drop in oestrogen levels can contribute to anxiety as the hormone is necessary for serotonin production.

Hormone changes also affect sleep quality since melatonin and progesterone promote restful sleep. There are excellent herbal remedies for menopausal support, and one essential mineral that can help lessen most menopausal symptoms is magnesium.

In a study of 171 postmenopausal women, 81.9% of participants had low blood levels of magnesium, an essential mineral for sleep as it helps regulate the circadian rhythm and relaxes muscles and nerves. It also plays a crucial role in brain function, helps to regulate mood, and modulates stress response.

Osteoporosis is another menopausal concern, and magnesium helps build bone density. Magnesium is critical for the heart, too; it supports heart muscle contractions and nerve impulses, helping to prevent palpitations and lowering the risk for heart disease. Considering that postmenopausal women are more likely to have low magnesium levels, they need to get enough of this mineral through diet and supplementation. Foods rich in magnesium include almonds, avocados, bananas, beans, broccoli, cashews, dark chocolate, oily fish, leafy greens, oats, seeds, soy products, and whole grains.

If you choose to supplement with magnesium, you will need to take calcium since these minerals work best in conjunction at a 2:1 ratio in favour of calcium. The recommended dosage is 800mg of calcium to 400mg of magnesium daily.

Other measures most women find helpful in managing menopausal anxiety include breathing exercises and meditation, daily movement, eating a low GL (glycaemic load) diet for blood sugar balance, reducing or eliminating coffee and alcohol intake, and getting in plenty of healthy fats.

My three-month-old daughter has colic, and the doctor said she would grow out of it in time. What can I give her to ease the pain in the meantime?

Most babies tend to grow out of their ‘colicky phase’ by six months. You can take herbal teas that help soothe your little one if you are breastfeeding, or place your daughter tummy down on a blanket and tuck her knees up while gently rubbing her back in a circular motion to help ease her symptoms.

It used to be common practice to recommend bouncing your baby to relieve colic – we know now that this is likely to further aggravate the symptoms.

Calendula, chamomile, rose, nettle, spearmint, peppermint, fennel seeds, oat straw, lemon balm, catnip, fenugreek, dill seeds, and anise seeds are all beneficial ingredients to look for in a herbal tea to help with colic and digestion. Many of these ingredients also support breastmilk production and help nourish and calm the mother.

Some foods and drinks can trigger a digestive upset via breastmilk. Common culprits include tea, coffee, chocolate, onions, garlic, brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts), beans and legumes, and spicy foods.

Dairy can be a problem in around 25% of colic cases, either directly or through the mother’s diet. This doesn’t necessarily indicate an allergy or sensitivity issue - often dairy can be introduced to your child after the age of 12 months without any problem.

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• NOTE: The information contained in this column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor.