Most of the time when you look for information about which herbal supplements might be useful in helping with symptoms for menopause after cancer, the advice is “Caution - there might be contraindications”! Additionally, 100% of all the people who responded to our survey on social media said they were worried about contraindications and the safety of herbal supplements. 

In today's conversation, we want to find out what is safe and what is not safe for those affected by cancer. Turmeric, ashwagandha, red clover and soy supplements can have a positive effect but we want to know who needs to stay away from them.

I am delighted to get to the bottom of this with Dr. Vera Martins who is a naturopath and herbalist with a PhD in cancer biology and Rebekah Brown, founder of co-community MPowder, a company dedicated to providing insight as well as innovation to ensure we can all ‘meno-well’.

We will look at what we know - what we don’t know and make sense of what that might mean for you.

This is the resource we have put together for you with all the studies and data we mentioned in this conversation: https://mpowder.store/pages/cancer-and-menopause

You can also find a Cancer Booklet which you can download as a PDF.

It’s a great resource!

Share it widely!

Here is a link to MPowder https://mpowder.store/ 

Do your research, support yourself and be curious! And as Rebekah says, be cynical :-)

This is another useful resource for you: https://menopauseandcancer.org/herbal-medicine-for-menopause-after-cancer-current-research/

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

12:34 Turmeric: anti-inflammatory, boosts mood, researched, possible contraindications.

21:29 Ashwagandha research shows benefits for menopausal symptoms.

27:26 Menopause journey led to embracing lifestyle interventions.

32:39 Naturopath as health partner with diverse tools.

38:52 Limited research on soy and red clover.

43:16 Frustration and hope for supplement regulations.

49:35 Antioxidants can help, but be cautious.

57:20 Consistency and whole food for health support.

01:00:21 Consider turmeric, ashwagandha, red clover, whole food supplement.

About Dani:

The Menopause and Cancer Podcast is hosted by Dani Binnington, menopause guide, patients advocate for people in menopause after a cancer diagnosis, and founder of the online platform Healthy Whole Me. 

There is lots of information out there about the menopause but hardly any if you have had a cancer diagnosis as well. Many people say to me they have no idea what their options are, who to ask for help, and that they feel really isolated in their experiences. 

I started this podcast because there was nothing out there when I was thrown into surgical menopause at the age of 39, which followed on from my cancer diagnosis aged 33.

Through the episodes, I want to create more awareness, share information from our fabulous guest experts, doctors and other specialists in the cancer and menopause field. 

And of course, I will share stories from the people in our community.

So that together we can work towards a better menopause experience. For all of us.

More educated, better informed and less alone.

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub