A new report has argued that meditation can help to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression during menopause.
Research into the effects was recently carried out by University College London (UCL) and published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
The report gathered statistics from 14 countries, including the UK and the United States, and saw 3,501 menopausal women taking part.
Some of the studies considered the impact of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on menopausal symptoms, while others looked at the power of meditation, in which you focus on deep breathing, relaxation and mindfulness.
After 30 studies, the findings noted that menopausal women with low moods "significantly benefited" from the use of mindfulness and CBT.
The report’s lead author, Professor Aimee Spector, has since explained that meditation could make an impact on women struggling with menopause.
“I think our message is that having holistic interventions can provide options for people who maybe aren't eligible, don't want HRT, possibly as an addition to HRT, and they can support the psychosocial aspects as well as the biological,” she stated.
“I don't think we at any point want to say that addressing the hormone imbalance isn't probably the most important thing that can be done for many people,” Professor Spector continued.
Menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson went on to note that “it is important to remember that menopause is due to a hormone deficiency affecting the entire body,” adding that it can cause ”numerous physical as well as psychological symptoms".
While menopause experts have explained that meditation should not be suggested as an “alternative” to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it could now be considered as a beneficial addition, alongside the likes of pills and patches.
