Organ Meats for Perimenopause and Menopause Support

Menopause and perimenopause are two significant life transitions that mark the end of a woman’s reproductive years. Perimenopause generally begins in a woman's 40s and can last anywhere from a few months to several years as hormone levels start to fluctuate. These hormonal shifts often result in irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and weight gain, among other symptoms.1 

Menopause occurs when a woman goes 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 56. During this stage, the ovaries stop producing eggs, and the production of estrogen and progesterone drastically declines. The hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect various aspects of health, including bone density, cardiovascular function, and cognitive health.2

For many women, these changes can be challenging, but there are natural ways to support the body during this phase of life. One often overlooked but highly beneficial approach is the inclusion of organ meats in the diet. Organ meats contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals that are particularly beneficial for women navigating the hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause. While they may not be a staple in many modern diets, organ meats have been consumed for centuries for their dense nutritional value and medicinal properties.

How Organ Meats Help with Menopausal and Perimenopausal Symptoms

Organ meats, particularly liver, heart, kidney, and spleen, contain many nutrients that can help alleviate some of the most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. These nutrients, including vitamin A, B vitamins (particularly B12), iron, zinc, and selenium, play critical roles in hormone production, energy metabolism, and mood regulation.3 Next, let’s break down the specific nutrients found in organ meats and explore how each helps address the symptoms women often experience during perimenopause and menopause.

Vitamin A: Supporting Hormones and Skin Health

Liver contains a high amount of vitamin A, a nutrient that helps regulate hormone production, particularly estrogen and progesterone. During perimenopause, hormone levels are constantly shifting, and vitamin A can help keep things more balanced, which in turn may reduce symptoms like night sweats, irregular periods, and mood swings. During menopause, estrogen levels can rise and become unbalanced with progesterone, causing estrogen dominance. Vitamin A also helps metabolize the biologically active estrogen (estradiol) to an inactive form (estrone). This ability to metabolize excess estrogen can reduce estrogen dominance.4,5 Vitamin A also helps to activate Vitamin D, which can help stabilize the thyroid-stimulating hormone and increase iron. But it doesn’t stop there.6 Vitamin A is also good for skin health, which is especially important as estrogen levels dip. Without enough estrogen, the skin can become dry, thinner, and more prone to wrinkles.7 By including more vitamin A-rich organ meats in the diet, women can give their skin the support it needs during this transition.8

B Vitamins: Boosting Energy, Mood, and Brain Function

B vitamins, particularly B12 and B6, are essential during perimenopause and menopause, as they help to maintain energy, stabilize mood, and support cognitive function—areas that can take a real hit as estrogen levels drop. B12, plentiful in liver, kidneys, and heart, is crucial for producing red blood cells and maintaining brain health.9 For many women, menopause can bring on fatigue, brain fog, and even feelings of depression, but B12 from organ meats can help mitigate these issues.

B6, another important B vitamin found in abundance in liver, is essential for producing serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. As women go through menopause, serotonin levels can drop, which often brings on mood swings and heightened anxiety.10 Organ meats like liver are rich in B6, a nutrient that helps with serotonin production. By adding more B6-rich organ meats into their meals, women can help keep serotonin levels more balanced, offering some relief from these emotional ups and downs in a simple, natural way.

Additionally, B vitamins support adrenal function, which becomes more critical post-menopause when the ovaries no longer produce estrogen, and the adrenal glands take over a greater share of hormone production.11

Iron and Hemoglobin Support for Energy and Blood Health

Many women, especially those dealing with heavy periods during perimenopause, often see their iron levels drop as they approach menopause.12 This can lead to symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and brain fog—issues already common during this phase of life. Low iron levels only make these challenges more pronounced.

Addressing iron deficiency can help women reduce some of these bothersome symptoms and feel more energized and clear-headed during menopause.

Organ meats, particularly liver, are among the richest natural sources of heme iron, the form of iron most easily absorbed by the body. Over time, organ meats can help replenish iron stores, support energy levels, and reduce the risk of anemia.

Zinc and Selenium for Thyroid and Immune Support

Zinc and selenium are two essential trace minerals found in organ meats that are particularly important for women during menopause. Zinc is crucial for immune function, wound healing, and skin health, all of which can be compromised during menopause.13, 14, 15 Zinc also plays a key role in regulating progesterone production and can help reduce symptoms like anxiety and insomnia by supporting hormonal balance.16

Selenium, another powerful nutrient found in liver, kidneys, and other organs, supports thyroid function, often affected during menopause. Many women in their 40s and 50s experience a slowing thyroid as estrogen levels decline, leading to symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and mood disturbances.17 Selenium helps to protect the thyroid from oxidative stress and supports the production of thyroid hormones, promoting a more balanced metabolism and energy levels.18

Collagen and Proline for Joint and Skin Health

As estrogen declines, women often experience joint pain and decreased skin elasticity.19 Organ meats, especially connective tissue and bone marrow, are rich in collagen and the amino acid proline. Proline helps maintain healthy joints, skin, and connective tissues. Eating collagen-rich organ meats can help ease joint pain and improve skin elasticity, both of which often decline during menopause, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin.

Supporting Hormonal Health and More

Beyond these individual nutrients, organ meats offer a unique blend of compounds that support overall hormonal health and vitality, helping women feel more balanced and resilient during this transition.

For instance, beef liver and heart contain coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is essential for energy production at the cellular level. CoQ10 helps to maintain cardiovascular health20, a key concern for post-menopausal women who face an increased risk of heart disease due to the decline in estrogen levels.

Organ meats also offer a significant amount of high-quality protein for maintaining muscle mass and bone density during menopause. As estrogen levels drop, women become more susceptible to osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle loss),21 so getting enough protein is crucial for supporting musculoskeletal health. The amino acids found in organ meats help to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, while the abundance of bioavailable calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium supports bone strength.22

Organ Meats as Nature’s Hormone Balancers

One unique reason organ meats are so beneficial during perimenopause and menopause is their ability to support the endocrine system—the network of glands that produce hormones. The concept of “like supports like” suggests that consuming organ meats can provide the specific nutrients necessary to support and nourish the body's organs, including the ovaries, adrenal glands, and thyroid, which are critical for hormone production and regulation.

For example, adrenal glands are a rich source of stress hormones like cortisol, which manages stress and inflammation. During menopause, when estrogen and progesterone levels drop, the adrenal glands take on a larger role in hormone production. Consuming adrenal gland tissue from organ meats can help support the body’s ability to produce stress hormones, ensuring more balanced hormone levels and reduced symptoms of stress and fatigue.

Conclusion

As women go through the natural stages of perimenopause and menopause, focusing on nutrient-rich foods that support hormone balance, energy levels, and overall vitality becomes more important. Organ meats are packed with nutrients that can help ease many common symptoms of menopause, including mood swings, fatigue, joint pain, and skin changes. By incorporating liver, heart, kidney, and other organ meats into their diet, women can give their bodies time-tested support during this transition, making it smoother and healthier.

Citations:

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2. Peacock, Kimberly, et al. ‘Menopause’. StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/.

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4. Cheng, You-Hong, et al. ‘Retinoic Acid (RA) Regulates 17beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Expression in Endometrium: Interaction of RA Receptors with Specificity Protein (SP) 1/SP3 for Estradiol Metabolism’. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 93, no. 5, The Endocrine Society, May 2008, pp. 1915–1923, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2007-1536.

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7. Thornton, M. Julie. ‘Estrogens and Aging Skin’. Dermato-Endocrinology, vol. 5, no. 2, Informa UK Limited, Apr. 2013, pp. 264–270, https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.23872.

8. Schagen, Silke K., et al. ‘Discovering the Link between Nutrition and Skin Aging’. Dermato-Endocrinology, vol. 4, no. 3, Informa UK Limited, July 2012, pp. 298–307, https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22876.

9. Kennedy, David O. ‘B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy--A Review’. Nutrients, vol. 8, no. 2, MDPI AG, Jan. 2016, p. 68, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8020068.

10. Hvas, Anne-Mette, et al. ‘Vitamin B6 Level Is Associated with Symptoms of Depression’. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, vol. 73, no. 6, S. Karger AG, Nov. 2004, pp. 340–343, https://doi.org/10.1159/000080386.

11. Camfield, David A., et al. ‘The Effects of Multivitamin Supplementation on Diurnal Cortisol Secretion and Perceived Stress’. Nutrients, vol. 5, no. 11, MDPI AG, Nov. 2013, pp. 4429–4450, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5114429.

12. Newson, Written Bydr Louise. ‘Iron Factsheet’. Balance Menopause, 27 Apr. 2022, https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/iron-factsheet/.

13. Lin, Pei-Hui, et al. ‘Zinc in Wound Healing Modulation’. Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 1, MDPI AG, Dec. 2017, p. 16, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010016.

14. Gupta, Mrinal, et al. ‘Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review’. Dermatology Research and Practice, vol. 2014, Hindawi Limited, July 2014, p. 709152, https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/709152.

15. Wessels, Inga, et al. ‘Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function’. Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 12, MDPI AG, Nov. 2017, p. 1286, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9121286.

16. Nasiadek, Marzenna, et al. ‘The Role of Zinc in Selected Female Reproductive System Disorders’. Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 8, MDPI AG, Aug. 2020, p. 2464, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082464.

17. Gietka-Czernel, Małgorzata. ‘The Thyroid Gland in Postmenopausal Women: Physiology and Diseases’. Przeglad Menopauzalny, vol. 16, no. 2, Termedia Sp. z.o.o., June 2017, pp. 33–37, https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2017.68588.

18. Wang, Fei, et al. ‘Selenium and Thyroid Diseases’. Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 14, Mar. 2023, p. 1133000, https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1133000.

19. Thornton, M. Julie. ‘Estrogens and Aging Skin’. Dermato-Endocrinology, vol. 5, no. 2, Informa UK Limited, Apr. 2013, pp. 264–270, https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.23872.

20. Zozina, Vladlena I., et al. ‘Coenzyme Q10 in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: Current State of the Problem’. Current Cardiology Reviews, vol. 14, Bentham Science Publishers Ltd., Apr. 2018, https://doi.org/10.2174/1573403x14666180416115428.

21. Larsson, Lars, et al. ‘Sarcopenia: Aging-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Function’. Physiological Reviews, vol. 99, no. 1, American Physiological Society, Jan. 2019, pp. 427–511, https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00061.2017.

22. Leroy, Frédéric, et al. ‘The Role of Meat in the Human Diet: Evolutionary Aspects and Nutritional Value’. Animal Frontiers, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 11–18, https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfac093.