Menopause Menu: Schisandra (Magnolia Berry)
Jun 02, 2022
I strongly follow the ADD vs. SUBTRACT philosophy when it comes to nutrition. This means that I choose to add nutrition-packed foods to the things I love rather than eliminating foods that bring me joy. That’s why I created my “MENOPAUSE MENU” series. I dedicate this series to exploring foods that you can easily assimilate into your diet. This week’s featured superstar is Schisandra, an adaptogen with wonderful menopause-specific benefits.
Schisandra Chinensis is a plant whose fruit is called magnolia berry or five-flavor-fruit. There are 25 kinds of Schisandra plants distributed across China, southeastern America, and other Asian countries. In traditional Chinese medicine, the dried fruit of Schisandra is commonly used in the treatment of coughs, heart palpitations, and insomnia. Studies have highlighted various additional health benefits such as diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, cardiovascular diseases, body fatigue, and weakness. It is often used as tonics in Russia, Japan, and Korea.
Menopause symptoms
Research indicates that Schisandra can be effective for hot flushes, sweating, and heart palpitations. There is also promising research showing the potential benefit of Schisandra in the prevention of declining muscle strength, which is strongly correlated with the menopausal transition. Hopefully, we’ll see more research on this.
How to use it
Schisandra can be found in many formats (fruit, capsule, powder). I take in a powder format and mix it with a glass of water in the morning or add it to my post-workout shake. It does have a particular earthy flavor to it, so it’s something that I’ve had to get used to.
This article is based on a review of the literature. It is not meant to be taken as medical advice or nutritional guidance. My advice is always to be careful when adding new supplements or herbs to your diet because they could interact with your medication/condition. It is always an excellent idea to reach your physician to confirm that adding new food/supplements will not harm your health.
