Midlife weight gain—particularly around the midsection—can feel frustrating, especially when your diet and lifestyle haven’t changed. Hormone therapy and weight loss meds can help—but you might wonder, can supplements make a difference?
Most experts agree: supplements for perimenopause need to be highly personalized. Every woman’s perimenopause experience is slightly different and may involve a variety of health effects caused by hormonal changes during this transition. However, certain supplements that support hormone balance, help manage the physical effects of stress, or support lean body mass may help with weight loss.
About the Experts
Melissa Mitri, M.S., R.D., is a nutrition writer and owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition, a private practice specializing in sustainable weight loss.
Christina Lombardi, R.D., owns Functional Nutrition Rx, a private practice focused on functional approaches to weight loss and cardiometabolic health.
Stephanie Dunne, M.S., R.D.N., I.F.N.C.P., is the founder of Nutrition Q.E.D., a functional medicine practice focused on women’s health.
Margo Harrison, M.D., M.P.H., OB-GYN, is a women’s health provider and CEO of Wave Bye Inc., a company focused on cycle health.
Why Perimenopause Hormone Changes Result in Weight Gain
60-70 percent of women experience weight gain during perimenopause and menopause. On average, women can expect to gain about 1.5 pounds per year from age 50 to 60 (1). But why do those pesky extra pounds show up?
“As estrogen begins to fluctuate and then decline during perimenopause, the body starts to store abdominal fat, has a lower metabolic rate, and can reduce insulin sensitivity leading to high blood sugar levels and more fat storage,” explains Margo Harrison, M.D., M.P.H., OB-GYN, a women’s health provider.
When we lose muscle, our metabolism (or the number of calories we burn per day) decreases. Meaning that if you keep eating the same number of calories, it’s probably too many for your slower metabolism. Extra calories are stored as body fat (2).
Supplements that support lean muscle, improve metabolic function, balance hormones, and work to lower inflammation may help counteract weight gain.
Best Supplements for Perimenopause Weight Loss
Despite marketing promises, there are no supplements that will miraculously help you lose weight during perimenopause.
Supplements are more of the cherry on top of a healthy lifestyle. They can address various health concerns that make it more challenging to lose weight, such as hormone imbalances, constant hunger, or high levels of inflammation. But even though supplements may support weight loss in various ways, they won’t make much of an impact on weight unless they’re combined with other healthy lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens are herbs or synthetic ingredients that help mitigate the physical effects of stress (3). They may also support women’s health during perimenopause and menopause, says registered dietitian Stephanie Dunne, M.S., R.D.N., I.F.N.C.P.
“Although not directly linked to weight loss, adaptogens can impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing your body’s ability to handle stress,” she says. Chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can boost abdominal fat stores (4). So reducing stress might minimize weight gain.
Common herbal adaptogens like ashwagandha may support weight loss and help balance hormones (5, 6). Ashwagandha has been shown to lower cortisol, improve leptin sensitivity, and regulate blood sugar—factors that make appetite control easier (7). Initial cell and animal studies suggest Rhodiola rosea may have an impact on weight management by affecting metabolism and fat cell regulation (8). However, evidence in humans is slim.
Protein powder
Getting enough protein is essential for supporting healthy, lean muscle. Harrison explains, “As muscle mass decreases, eating more protein can preserve muscle, which can also preserve metabolic rate.”
Individual protein needs vary based on your body weight and muscle mass, but a 2022 study found that increasing dietary protein by one to three percent helps mitigate some of the weight gain and muscle loss experienced during menopause (9). The study suggests that women in perimenopause should aim to eat 18 to 20 percent of their overall calories from protein.
While you should eat high-protein foods to meet your needs, protein powder can help. Whey protein in particular has been shown to help lower BMI and reduce waist circumference and body fat (10). But plant-based protein powders can still help you feel full, which may help you meet your weight loss goals.
Soy isoflavones
Soy isoflavones are plant compounds found in soybeans and other legumes. They are one of many types of phytoestrogens, which have a similar structure and function to the hormone estrogen.
One review found that supplementation with phytoestrogens didn’t directly help postmenopausal women lose weight, but did reduce their waist-to-hip ratio, meaning it helped them lose belly fat (11). However, it also suggests that women with metabolic disorders (like type 2 diabetes) should avoid phytoestrogen supplementation since it’s associated with weight gain.
Green tea
One of the beneficial compounds in green tea is Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant and the most abundant catechin found in green tea. It may help with weight loss “as it has an anti-inflammatory effect and can boost metabolism,” says registered dietitian Christina Lombardi, R.D. High inflammation can trigger insulin and leptin resistance, two hormones involved in blood sugar regulation and appetite (12).
A 2020 review suggests that green tea supplementation may aid weight loss efforts (13). Researchers believe EGCG may play a role by lowering fat absorption, enhancing fat breakdown, and speeding up metabolism.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish oil supplements, support cardiovascular health, help lower inflammation, and may help speed up metabolism, resulting in weight loss. One small study of older women (in their mid-sixties) found that taking three grams of fish oil for 12 weeks increased metabolism by an average of 14 percent (14).
Supplements That Probably Won’t Help You Lose Weight During Perimenopause
While there are many supplements on the market that claim to help with weight loss during perimenopause, most have limited research to back up those claims. Here are a few to look out for:
MACA
Maca is a root vegetable native to Peru, often referred to as “Peruvian ginseng” due to its energy-boosting properties. It is commonly found in menopause supplements as there is some evidence that it may help with other menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. However, there is limited evidence that it directly helps with weight loss (15).
Probiotics
While gut health may play a role in obesity, there is currently not enough research to support taking a probiotic for weight loss (16). “A few probiotic studies have shown their potential for weight loss during menopause, but studies have been small, only in animals, and the exact strains still need to be determined (17),” says Mitri.
Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Help You Lose Weight?
“Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is primarily designed to alleviate the discomforts of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood instability, rather than to serve as a weight loss treatment. While it may indirectly influence lifestyle choices by improving overall well-being, weight loss is not a direct effect or primary goal of HRT,” says Harrison.
While HRT is not primarily intended as a weight-loss treatment, it may help prevent abdominal weight gain, particularly when started early (18).
Other Ways to Lose Weight in Menopause
A healthy lifestyle that includes a calorie-controlled diet, exercise, and adequate sleep remains the best way to support a healthy weight.
Exercise
Muscle loss is one of the main culprits of perimenopause weight gain. Regular resistance training is the most effective way to preserve muscle. Don’t skip cardio, though—it helps burn calories and reduces your risk of heart disease, which increases during this stage of life.
Aim to get 150 minutes of cardio and at least two days of strength training per week (19).
Dial in your diet
A balanced diet is essential during perimenopause. “A reduced-calorie diet higher in protein and lower in carbs promotes abdominal fat loss and reduces the dreaded ‘menopause belly,’” says Mitri. But she stresses that staying in a calorie deficit (i.e., burning more calories than you’re taking in) is essential for any weight loss plan.
Limit caffeine and alcohol during perimenopause. Both can stoke inflammation and spike cortisol levels, making it more difficult to lose weight (20, 21), says Harrison. Inflammation increases hormones like insulin and leptin, altering appetite and making it harder to lose weight. When cortisol, the stress hormone, is high it tells your body to store more body fat (22).
Prioritize sleep
When you don’t get enough rest, you don’t feel like exercising, and you crave carbs and sugar to give you energy to get through the day, setting you up for weight gain. However, thanks to night sweats, anxiety, and hormone fluctuations, insomnia is a common symptom of perimenopause (23).
The best thing you can do to get a better night’s sleep is to keep a consistent sleep schedule, limit screen time before bed, and create a relaxing bedtime routine.
Hydrate
Not drinking enough fluids can lead to weight gain and slow your weight loss efforts, while choosing low-calorie beverages, like water, can support your weight loss goals. Sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger, which may lead to consuming too many calories. While how much fluid you need is dependent upon your age, climate, and activity levels, women need about 91 ounces per day, which includes fluids from food (like fruits and vegetables) and beverages (24, 25).
The Bottom Line
Some supplements can help fight menopause-related weight gain, but many lack solid evidence for weight loss specifically, even if they address other perimenopause symptoms. One thing is clear: when it comes to perimenopause weight loss, there are no supplements on the market that will help induce weight loss without lifestyle changes like exercise, sleep, and a calorie-controlled diet.
