Menopause symptoms
Menopause symptoms explained: hot flushes, sleep, mood, joints, bone and heart changes. When to see a GP, what a blood test can show, and the nutrients people look at.
What is usually behind it
Menopause is the point when periods have stopped for a year, usually around 51 in the UK, and the years after it. The common symptoms are hot flushes and night sweats, broken sleep, low mood or anxiety, brain fog, joint aches, vaginal dryness, and changes in skin and hair. Two things change under the surface that matter for nutrition: bone density falls faster once oestrogen drops, and heart risk rises to meet men's.
See your GP if any bleeding happens after your periods have stopped, if symptoms affect daily life, or to discuss the options available to you. This page is about nutrition and does not cover those options.
What a blood test can show. Hormone tests are not needed to recognise menopause after 45. Vitamin D and a lipid profile are worth knowing because of the bone and heart changes; ferritin and B12 are the other two that commonly explain tiredness. Free blood test result interpreter.
What people in this position most often look at. Vitamin D, which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones; calcium and magnesium, which contribute to the maintenance of normal bones; vitamin K2, which contributes to normal blood clotting and the maintenance of normal bones; omega 3, where EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart; magnesium for normal psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Next: Supplements for menopause and perimenopause · Supplements for bone health · Ask Nutri365.
Written by Nutri Tailor from the Health Reference Library. Last checked 6 September 2026. General information, not personal advice.