While Professor Berry doesn’t have all the answers (although she hopes the next stage of her research will look into which foods and nutrients are particularly beneficial for reducing symptoms), she says that eating a generally healthy diet, as opposed to focusing on one specific thing, is a good place to start.

“Our findings support what little research has been done on dietary patterns and menopause symptoms – that an overall healthy diet pattern can improve symptoms. There are lots of small studies looking at the effects of individual supplements and nutrients like black cohosh, maca and flaxseed, but the results tend to be pretty inconsistent. So I’d say it’s all about finding out what works best for you as an individual and trying to make healthy choices that will give you a range of nutrients and fibre.”

Indeed, eating a well-rounded, healthy diet with plenty of fibre will benefit your gut microbiome – something we know can have a hugely positive impact on your wellbeing. According to Professor Berry, early research has shown that menopause could impact the gut microbiome in some way (although a lot more work needs to be done to confirm this and learn what it means). However, we know that the microbiome can have wide-reaching effects on the body pre-menopause, so it makes sense that supporting your microbiome during these years could potentially help alleviate some symptoms.

Zoe’s chief scientist on the one simple lifestyle change women can make to relieve menopause symptoms