Food-therapy guide
What foods help with menopause symptoms?
Short answer
Foods traditionally used to support women through menopause are chosen according to the symptoms: cooling foods for hot flushes and night sweats, nourishing foods for fatigue, and gentle grains and seeds for restless sleep. Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root Chicken Soup is often turned to for heat and sweating, Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee for poor sleep and restlessness, and Walnut, Longan, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee for broader perimenopausal support.
In traditional Chinese food therapy, menopause is not treated as one single pattern. Hot flushes, night sweats and agitation may be viewed as a hotter, yin-deficient pattern, while chills, loose stools, poor appetite and frequent urination suggest a colder, deficient pattern. Poor sleep, mood changes and fatigue may overlap with either.
These recipes therefore take different approaches rather than promising one menopause food for everyone. Some use cooling ingredients such as wolfberry root, while others rely on nourishing black soybeans, walnuts, grains, lotus seeds or lily bulb. The best choice depends on which discomforts are most prominent.
7 recipes compared
| Recipe | Type | Key ingredients | Best for | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root (Di Gu Pi) Chicken Soup | Soups | Fresh wolfberry root bark, Goji berries, Chicken breast | Hot flushes, night sweats and fatigue | 1 hr 10 min |
| Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee | Congee & Porridge | Wheat berries, White rice, Red dates | Restlessness, broken sleep and night sweats | 1 hr 10 min |
| Walnut, Longan Flesh, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee | Congee & Porridge | Walnut kernels, Dried longan flesh, Black soybeans with green kernel | Night sweats, insomnia and mood changes | 75 min |
| Purple Chinese Yam, Fresh Lotus Seed and Fresh Lily Bulb Soup | Soups | Fresh purple Chinese yam, Fresh lotus seeds, Fresh lily bulb | Restlessness and sleep discomfort | 35 min |
| Ginkgo, Fox Nut, Flower Mushroom and Dried Oyster Soup | Soups | Ginkgo nuts, Fox nut / euryale seed, Flower mushrooms | Frequent urination during menopause | 1 hr 50 min |
| Soybean Sprout, Carrot and Dried Oyster Lean Pork Soup | Soups | Soybean sprouts, Carrot, Dried oysters | General midlife nourishment | 2 hr 15 min |
| Xianmao, Epimedium and Organic Chicken Breast Soup | Soups | Xianmao, Epimedium / horny goat weed, Longan flesh / dried longan | Chills, loose stools and frequent urination | 135 min |
The recipes, and why each one fits
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SoupsGoji Berry and Wolfberry Root (Di Gu Pi) Chicken Soup
Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root (Di Gu Pi) Chicken Soup
Best for: Hot flushes, night sweats and fatigue
Wolfberry root bark is traditionally used for a yin-deficient heat pattern associated with menopausal hot flushes and night sweats. Goji berries and chicken breast make this a lightly nourishing soup alongside the cooling root.
traditionally used to clear deficiency heat, ease menopausal hot flushes, and restore energy by nourishing the liver and kidneys
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Congee & PorridgeWheat Berry and Red Date Congee
Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee
Best for: Restlessness, broken sleep and night sweats
Wheat berries and red dates form a mild congee traditionally associated with calming the heart and mind, easing night sweats and supporting restful sleep. It is particularly suited to menopause accompanied by restlessness or anxiety.
traditionally associated with calming the heart and mind, easing night sweats, and supporting restful sleep
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Congee & PorridgeWalnut, Longan Flesh, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee
Walnut, Longan Flesh, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee
Best for: Night sweats, insomnia and mood changes
Walnuts, dried longan, black soybeans and brown rice make a hearty congee traditionally used to nourish blood and calm the mind. It is designed for the combination of sleep disruption, night sweats and mood changes often experienced around perimenopause.
Traditionally used to nourish heart-blood, calm the mind, and support women through perimenopause
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SoupsPurple Chinese Yam, Fresh Lotus Seed and Fresh Lily Bulb Soup
Purple Chinese Yam, Fresh Lotus Seed and Fresh Lily Bulb Soup
Best for: Restlessness and sleep discomfort
Purple Chinese yam is combined with lotus seeds and fresh lily bulb in a light dessert soup traditionally valued during the menopause transition. Lotus seed and lily bulb make it especially relevant when restlessness and poor sleep are prominent.
traditionally used to support hormonal balance and ease menopausal discomfort
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SoupsGinkgo, Fox Nut, Flower Mushroom and Dried Oyster Soup
Ginkgo, Fox Nut, Flower Mushroom and Dried Oyster Soup
Best for: Frequent urination during menopause
Ginkgo nuts and fox nuts are paired with flower mushrooms, red dates and dried oysters in a savoury soup traditionally used to nourish yin and blood. It is particularly associated with supporting women troubled by frequent urination, including at night.
Traditionally used to nourish yin and blood and support women in menopause
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SoupsSoybean Sprout, Carrot and Dried Oyster Lean Pork Soup
Soybean Sprout, Carrot and Dried Oyster Lean Pork Soup
Best for: General midlife nourishment
Soybean sprouts, carrot and dried oysters make this a practical Cantonese soup traditionally taken to support the body through menopause. It is a broader food-based option rather than one aimed at a single symptom.
traditionally taken to support the body through menopause
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SoupsXianmao, Epimedium and Organic Chicken Breast Soup
Xianmao, Epimedium and Organic Chicken Breast Soup
Best for: Chills, loose stools and frequent urination
Xianmao and epimedium make this a distinctly warming herbal soup traditionally associated with kidney-yang deficiency. It is intended for a colder pattern involving chills after sweating, poor appetite, loose stools, swelling or frequent urination, rather than hot and dry symptoms.
Traditionally associated with warming kidney yang and supporting women through menopausal symptoms
How to choose
- For hot flushes, night sweats and a generally warm pattern, start with Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root Chicken Soup rather than the strongly warming xianmao and epimedium soup.
- For broken sleep, restlessness or anxiety, choose Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee; Walnut, Longan, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee is another option when mood changes and night sweats occur alongside poor sleep.
- For frequent urination, especially at night, consider Ginkgo, Fox Nut, Flower Mushroom and Dried Oyster Soup. If frequent urination comes with chills, loose stools and poor appetite, the warming Xianmao, Epimedium and Chicken Soup is the more specifically matched traditional preparation.
- For a lighter, quicker preparation, Purple Chinese Yam, Fresh Lotus Seed and Fresh Lily Bulb Soup takes about 35 minutes; the herbal and dried-oyster soups require longer cooking.
- For a mild family-friendly option, Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee is traditionally regarded as gentle enough for children and older people with sensitive stomachs.
When to be cautious
- Xianmao, Epimedium and Chicken Soup is intended for a specific cold, deficient pattern. Avoid it if you tend to run warm or have dry mouth, red cheeks or constipation, and do not use it during an active infection.
- Remove the mildly toxic core from ginkgo nuts before cooking the Ginkgo, Fox Nut, Flower Mushroom and Dried Oyster Soup.
- For the Walnut, Longan, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee, pregnant women should replace the longan flesh with red or south jujube dates.
- Food-therapy recipes are supportive foods rather than medical treatment. See a doctor if menopause symptoms persist, are severe or are concerning.
Common questions
What should I eat for hot flushes and night sweats during menopause?
In traditional Chinese food therapy, hot flushes and night sweats may be approached as a yin-deficient heat pattern. Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root Chicken Soup is particularly relevant because wolfberry root bark is traditionally used to clear deficiency heat, while goji berries provide nourishment. Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee is another option when night sweating occurs together with restlessness or poor sleep.
What foods are traditionally used for menopause-related insomnia?
Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee is one of the gentlest choices for menopause accompanied by broken sleep, anxiety or night sweats. Wheat berries and red dates are traditionally associated with calming the heart and mind. Walnut, Longan, Black Bean & Brown Rice Congee is another nourishing choice traditionally used when insomnia occurs alongside mood changes and night sweating.
Which menopause recipe is best if I feel cold rather than hot?
For a pattern involving chills after sweating, poor appetite, loose stools, swelling or frequent urination, Xianmao, Epimedium and Chicken Soup is traditionally used as a warming preparation. It contains two potent warming herbs and is not appropriate for everyone. If you instead run warm or have dry mouth, red cheeks or constipation, choose a more yin-nourishing recipe rather than this soup.
Can I eat these menopause foods every day?
The recipes vary considerably, so they should not all be treated as interchangeable everyday foods. Mild preparations such as Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee are described as gentle, while Xianmao and epimedium are potent herbs intended for a specific cold pattern. Choose according to your symptoms and follow each recipe's cautions rather than assuming that stronger or more frequent use is better.
Guides are compiled from Nourilo's recipe library and describe traditional use. Read how we write and check our content and who is behind Nourilo.