Science Corner 31 | Reframing Menopause: An Expert Conversation with Dr. Lanae Mullane
October marks Menopause Awareness Month, a time to bring visibility to one of the most universal, yet under-discussed transitions in women’s health. Despite its inevitability, menopause has long carried a veil of misunderstanding, and even stigma, leaving many women to navigate it with little guidance or scientific clarity.
That is exactly why I wanted to speak with Dr. Lanae Mullane.
Dr. Mullane is a naturopathic doctor with more than a decade of experience at the intersection of clinical care, supplement innovation, and education. She has built her career around bridging conventional and integrative medicine, helping women understand not only how their hormones change, but also how lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation can support that change. On the SuppCo platform, Dr. Mullane has developed several of our most trusted expert protocols, including those for energy, immune support, and essential health, which makes her approach especially relevant for this discussion.
Her expertise spans both the clinical and the practical, and her personal connection to this topic gives her perspective real depth. In our conversation, we explore what menopause and perimenopause truly are, why awareness has lagged for so long, and how evidence-based supplements can play a meaningful role in supporting women through this transition.
It is a thoughtful, timely, and empowering discussion, and I am excited to share our conversation with you below.
Jordan Glenn: Okay, Dr. Mullane, before we dive into the science, can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in women's hormonal health and naturopathic medicine?
Lanae Mullane, ND: Absolutely. My path into naturopathic medicine really started with travel and experiencing different forms of medicine firsthand. I was fascinated with how traditional and modern approaches could really complement each other. I wanted to bring some of that integrative perspective into my own work. Through the last decade-plus that I've been a naturopath, I've worked in clinical care and also product innovation, supporting and making supplement lines and educating patients. I've also worked on clinical strategy for telehealth companies that merge evidence-based medicine with whole-person care, which is important to me.
I've really started to focus on women's hormonal health as a specialty. This phase is typically one that is very misunderstood and undertreated, particularly during this big transition. Women are really expected to navigate major hormonal, metabolic, and neurological shifts with minimal education or guidance; at least until recently, when it has become a little bit more public and there's been more attention on it.
And let's be honest, for me, I'm part of the generation that had my babies in my 30s, and now I get to ask myself: is this postpartum or is this perimenopause? Jokes aside, I'm starting to see more of it. It affects me personally, and a lot of patients are coming in to ask me questions like, "What should I be expecting? What are these symptoms related to?"
At the same time, I work in a space that's focused on women's health and hormones and realized how many of my peers and friends were beginning this transition without a lot of support. So it's really personal and professional all at once. I wanted to help rewrite the narrative that perimenopause or menopause mark an ending. Really, with the proper education, lifestyle, and evidence-based care, this can be a powerful new beginning.
Jordan Glenn: Can you tell us a little bit about what menopause is and how it differs from perimenopause?
Lanae Mullane, ND: So we say “menopause” a lot, it gets a lot of attention, but really it's officially defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, marking the natural end of ovarian estrogen production. In the United States specifically, the average age of menopause is around 51, plus or minus 5 years. Research shows women of color, particularly Black women, can often experience menopause about a year earlier on average. There are also other paths to menopause, such as surgical menopause with the removal of the ovaries or certain medical treatments like chemotherapy that can put women into menopause.
But perimenopause, on the other hand, is that transitional phase leading up to menopause, and it begins as early as 10 years before your final period. So if the average age of menopause is 51, plus or minus 5 years, and perimenopause can start 10 years before that, then many women can actually start to see symptoms of perimenopause begin in their mid-30s.
Menopause itself is really that day, that 12-month marker of no cycle, and then after that you're technically postmenopausal. Perimenopause is really that long, often more unpredictable journey of how you get there.
Jordan Glenn: Oh, interesting. So menopause is technically a moment. You are either peri- or post-menopausal, and menopause is almost like a moment in time.
Lanae Mullane, ND: Exactly. I mean, we call it menopause, we kind of lump it all together, when really that's technically the shortest piece of all of it. But it gets defined under that umbrella.
Jordan Glenn: Ok, that's fascinating. So why is it so important to start talking about menopause and peri-menopause now? And what are some of the biggest misconceptions that you still see even today in women's health?
Lanae Mullane, ND: Silence around menopause has cost women decades of well-being. We are the first generation to enter this stage with more research, better data, and a greater willingness to talk openly and ask questions. Social media, for all its flaws, has helped break that silence by normalizing conversations about women’s health that were once rarely discussed, a shift that is both overdue and empowering.
Much of the confusion around hormone therapy stems from the Women’s Health Initiative in the early 2000s. Early headlines suggested that hormone therapy increased the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. However, that study has since been re-evaluated, and most participants were older and well past menopause. As a result, many women missed the opportunity to even consider hormone therapy, not because it was inappropriate, but because the conversation was cut short.
In the years that followed, discussion around perimenopause and menopause largely went quiet. Now, newer research shows that starting menopausal hormone therapy within 10 years of onset, for the right candidates, can reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline, while improving overall quality of life, all areas affected by declining estrogen.
Another misconception is that women don't need testosterone or that testosterone is a male hormone only. Women produce more testosterone than estrogen at times in our lives, and it's important not just for libido, which is a very important part of our overall health, but also for energy, muscle mass, mood, and heart health. Again, it doesn't mean that all women need to be put on HRT or testosterone, but having the option to have that treatment is important when the research is supporting that.
Jordan Glenn: You talked about how we're starting to talk about it more, social media is creating these avenues, but in your clinical experience, what's the biggest barrier to women getting effective support during this transition? Are we seeing women get more support? What are these barriers?
Lanae Mullane, ND: Really, I think it's access and education, and a lot of it is on providers. Many providers still are not trained in menopause medicine, and women are often dismissed. Again, if you're not aware that perimenopause can start in their early 30s, it might be very much dismissed as something else or easily brushed off. They may be prescribed antidepressants, which can absolutely be necessary for some individuals, but too often this happens before a comprehensive evaluation is done, including assessing hormones, thyroid function, and metabolic history.
It's only recently that the FDA has started to consider removing the black box warning on vaginal estrogen, which is a major barrier for not only patients but also providers, because that warning has created a long, unnecessary fear. It’s understandable why it might seem alarming at first. If you don’t have experience prescribing hormones or you’re a patient just receiving it, the visual can feel unsettling to see.
We know that vaginal estrogen is one of the safest, most effective treatments for symptoms like vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, recurrent UTIs, without having systemic absorption.
I still think there's a tremendous need for provider education, not just on the patient side but on the provider side, for public awareness to close that gap. Women deserve accurate information and not fear-based avoidance of therapy because maybe providers don't fully utilize it or aren't up to date with the research.
Jordan Glenn: Okay, that's super interesting. And so you yourself, you're a licensed naturopathic doctor. You have a big focus on functional health. So how do you balance leveraging more conventional medical approaches versus the integrative approaches when you are working with women and treating women at this stage in their life?
Lanae Mullane, ND: I really use both, and I always have in my practice. I've always worked in integrative settings with different types of providers, whether they be MDs, DOs, nurse practitioners, NDs, nutritionists, registered dietitians. I do love the village approach to treating a patient because we all have a little bit of an area where we're not maybe as knowledgeable in, so leaning on our partners can be great.
I often incorporate hormone therapy when it’s appropriate, but I never lose sight of the fundamentals of health. No matter what a patient comes in for, we always start by grounding in the basics like sleep, nutrition, gut health, movement, and stress support. Even if someone begins hormone therapy, those pillars remain at the center of their care. From there, we can adjust the level of intervention based on their symptoms and progress.
If she’s experiencing severe symptoms that are affecting her quality of life, we’ll talk through that. Along with her risk factors and comfort level. I want my patients to feel empowered to be advocates for their own health. My goal is to make sure they feel truly informed, because knowledge is power. I believe in sharing all the information, whether it’s from a conventional or a more natural approach, so we can explore every option together and choose what feels right for them
For example, I might use hormone therapy to help stabilize severe vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes, but I’m also going to support cardiovascular health by focusing on nutrition, exercise, and targeted supplements that address declining estrogen.
In short, I believe the synergy between conventional and integrative approaches is what leads to sustainable, long-term results.
Jordan Glenn: All right, so shifting gears a little bit, I want to talk about supplements and how they fit within the peri-menopause/ menopause transition. From your perspective, what role do nutritional supplements play in supporting women throughout peri-menopause and menopause?
Lanae Mullane, ND: I always remind women that supplements aren’t a replacement for hormones. They won’t provide estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone the way HRT does. But they can play an important supportive role by addressing nutrient gaps, strengthening the foundations of health, and helping the body adapt more smoothly to hormonal fluctuations
I often use supplements to support sleep, mood, and cognition. Sleep is usually one of the first things I see disrupted during perimenopause. If someone prefers not to use progesterone, we’ll focus on supporting sleep naturally, there are many effective tools in the supplement space for that. For example, creatine can help prevent sarcopenia and preserve muscle mass as we age, and vitamin D3 with K2 supports bone density, since bone turnover increases during this time.
Jordan Glenn: Got it. So creatine, vitamin D with K2, are there any other particular supplements that you find clinically useful for managing common symptoms? Maybe hot flashes, mood changes. We talked about sleep disruption a little bit.
Lanae Mullane, ND: Yeah, absolutely. So for hot flashes and vasomotor symptoms, probably the most common would be black cohosh. The research on it is somewhat mixed, so I use it selectively and make sure to check in with women about how they’re feeling. It can be helpful for mild to moderate symptoms. Some women respond really well, while for others it may not make much of a difference
For sleep and relaxation, I frequently use magnesium, specifically magnesium glycinate in this case, typically with inositol and glycine. It’s a great combination for calming the nervous system, reducing nighttime rumination and early waking, and improving overall sleep quality, which is so important for supporting healthy testosterone levels
For mood and cognition, I love omega-3s and a quality B-complex. Both play such key roles in brain health. Creatine is another favorite; it’s talked about a lot lately, and for good reason. For metabolic and cardiovascular health, I love some good old-fashioned fiber, especially as our cholesterol can start to increase as our estrogen declines. Fiber becomes incredibly important for supporting balanced blood sugar, healthy cholesterol levels, and, of course, gut health.
Jordan Glenn: Love it. And so when it comes to a lot of the supplements we just talked about, are there common supplement mistakes or misinformation that you see your patients coming in with? Maybe they're trying to manage their symptoms on their own or coming in with out of date information?
Lanae Mullane, ND: There definitely can be, and a lot of it comes down to education. Sometimes it’s just the dose, they’re not taking enough, or they stop before giving it enough time to work.
I often see DIM used incorrectly. It helps the body metabolize estrogen, which can be really helpful when estrogen levels are high, as they often are during perimenopause when hormones fluctuate like a roller coaster. But if someone with low estrogen takes DIM, it can actually make symptoms worse by lowering estrogen even more.
Another one I see is wild yam, which is often used as a natural alternative to progesterone. While it’s marketed that way, the body can’t actually convert wild yam into progesterone the same way it can with bioidentical hormone therapy.
A lot of it comes down to understanding what each supplement is meant to do and how to take it. Often it’s not that someone is using the wrong things, it’s that they’re not taking them the right way, like vitamin D without fat or iron with coffee. It’s more about fine-tuning how they use supplements, not that they’re doing something wrong.
Jordan Glenn: Got it. And so aside from supplements, what lifestyle or behavioral changes can really help manage symptoms of perimenopause and menopause?
Lanae Mullane, ND: To begin, quality sleep is essential, as testosterone production peaks at night and early in the morning. Prioritizing good sleep hygiene, maintaining a consistent schedule, going to bed at the same time each night, and minimizing evening stimulation, plays a vital role in supporting hormonal balance and overall well-being.
Of course, strength training is going to help with muscle mass, bone density, and help improve insulin sensitivity while supporting our energy and libido. When it comes to strength training, I also think about healthspan. I want women, when they're 90, to be able to open up their own jars, to have some independence, and also reduce risk of falling, which is important. Once we fall, break a hip, the risk of mortality after that is significantly higher. So we really want to focus on making sure they have a good quality of life.
Nutrition. I know protein gets a lot of attention right now, but I'm all about adequate protein. So balancing that, not just protein, protein, protein. Protein is important during this time to make sure we preserve muscle, but making sure that you're pairing that also with fiber coming from vegetables and healthy fats and omegas as well, to help with blood sugar and, of course, with cardiovascular disease.
And then managing stress. Stress management is critically important. Whether that is exercise, meditation, or some other method, making sure that they have some way to manage that stress.
And then, of course, reducing alcohol intake. Our ability to tolerate alcohol decreases as we also go through those hormonal fluctuations, and it affects things like our sleep, mood, and metabolic health. So adjusting our intake of alcohol is also important.
Jordan Glenn: Got it. Makes sense. So we don't need protein in our ice cream then is what I'm hearing from you.
Lanae Mullane, ND: Exactly. Or our Starbucks, right?
Jordan Glenn: Yes! Okay, so there was a new study that came out in the journal Nutrients not long ago, and it found that women using supplements like fish oil, B-complex, and antioxidant blends tended to actually reach menopause later. How do you interpret those findings?
Lanae Mullane, ND: This was a large observational study, and I found it exciting because research like this is still relatively new in the menopause space. We do need to interpret it with some caution, but the findings were encouraging. Regular use of supplements such as fish oil, B complex, antioxidant blends, and vitamin C, all known for their antioxidant properties, was linked to a later onset of natural menopause in women. That is a positive signal, as estrogen provides important protective benefits for cardiovascular, bone, and cognitive health.
The study included more than 3,500 women and accounted for key lifestyle factors such as BMI, smoking status, and physical activity, since these can also influence menopause timing. Women who regularly used fish oil showed a significant reduction in early menopause, while those taking B complex and antioxidant blends also demonstrated protective effects, findings that are both encouraging and noteworthy.
In contrast, of course, what we kind of already know, but important to discuss, is smoking and higher intake of red meat was associated with early menopause. Now, of course, this is one study, and supplements may help delay menopause. I'm not saying definitively, but it just, hopefully more research will be done because of this really positive finding. There will be more research to help show those benefits. But to me, it really reinforces that lifestyle, again, watching weight management or alcohol intake, so lifestyle factors and supplements and nutrition aren't just secondary and really should be considered as actual part of treatment for perimenopause and menopause.
Jordan Glenn: And so moving on a little bit from that, we're seeing this cultural shift, it seems, where women are kind of reclaiming this menopause narrative. It's being talked about a lot more. It's more in the zeitgeist. What does the future of menopause care look like to you?
Lanae Mullane, ND: The future of menopause care is personalized, integrative, and, hopefully, free of shame. We are already moving in that direction, especially as conversations about hormones and sexual health become more open. Sexual health is complex and deeply connected to hormonal balance, so creating space for honest, stigma-free discussion is essential.
Hopefully we'll see FDA-approved testosterone treatments for women happening in the near future. We won't have to be prescribing men's AndroGel and having women use very small amounts of it. Black box warning coming off of vaginal estrogen. So we're going to see expanding safe and evidence-based options for symptom management and quality of life and protective aspects for women. There'll be greater training and access for providers in prescribing hormones and also using targeted nutraceuticals.
And if you’re not familiar or comfortable with hormones, supplements, or nutrition, it’s important to refer to a collaborative care team. You don’t have to know everything, but you also shouldn’t dismiss or withhold options simply because you’re unsure. The goal is to create more collaboration so that every aspect of women’s health is addressed. It’s not about competing approaches, it’s about recognizing that we’re all part of the same ecosystem working toward the same goal.
Mostly it will be important that women continue to lead the conversation, and there'll be more research continuing to be done on women.
Jordan Glenn: Love it. Okay, to wrap up, we're going to focus on you personally. I want to know from you: what are three supplements you can't live without and one unique or underrated supplement that you think more people need to know about?
Lanae Mullane, ND: My non-negotiables start with magnesium threonate, which is my go-to for improving sleep quality and supporting muscle recovery. I also pair vitamin D with K2, technically two supplements, but they work together, to support bone, immune, and hormone health, especially as we head into the winter months. And, of course, creatine remains a must for maintaining muscle strength, cellular energy, and cognitive focus, particularly as a sometimes sleep-deprived parent of two.
And then my underrated one would probably be prebiotics. I'm kind of obsessed right now with Solnul, a clinically researched potato starch. They just published some data that just came out hot off the press this week about using just 3.5 grams of that potato starch to increase our nutrient absorption in our gut. Choline was increased by 15% in that study, Vitamin E 11%, just by taking it, can increase the absorption of nutrients through the food we eat, which I always love. It's not just about supplementing, but also making sure our systems are appropriate to absorb the nutrients from the food we consume as well. So that's pretty exciting to look out for.
Jordan Glenn: Awesome. I always love a good nod to the bioavailability of supplements versus just supplements themselves. So I think that's a great way for us to finish up here.
Lanae Mullane, ND: Fantastic.
Personal reflections from Jordan
I love ending on the word “fantastic,” because it perfectly captures how I feel about this conversation, informative, inspiring, and full of optimism for where women’s health is headed.
Conversations like this one remind me why menopause deserves to be reframed, not as an ending, but as a new physiological beginning. Dr. Mullane spoke with a clarity that few bring to this space, emphasizing something I found especially valuable: knowledge is power, but so is personalization.
The most effective care comes from understanding one’s own body, not from a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Three lessons stand out.
Foundations matter most. Sleep, strength training, nutrition, and stress management remain the cornerstones of hormonal health.
Supplements are support tools, not substitutes. Creatine, vitamin D with K2, magnesium, omega-3s, and fiber each have well-defined roles in preserving function through transition.
Education should replace fear. Whether through hormone therapy or nutraceuticals, women deserve informed options, not outdated warnings.
This interview offered more than information, it offered perspective. I am grateful to Dr. Mullane for helping all of us see menopause not as decline, but as evolution guided by science, self-awareness, and empowerment.
Citations from this article
Jebaraj, Shekhinamary, and Valentine Nlebedim. "The Role of Dietary Supplements in Modulating Menopause Onset: A Comprehensive Analysis of Nutritional and Lifestyle Influences on Menopause Timing." Nutrients 17.18 (2025). Link.
Bush, Jason R., Jun Han, and David R. Goodlett. "Resistant Potato Starch supplementation increases the serum levels of choline and sphingomyelins without affecting trimethylamine oxide levels." Metabolites 15.10 (2025). Link.