The Holistic Menopause Approach

10 Mushrooms for Whole Body Support

Lisa Colton

6/23/20265 min read

A smiling redhead woman holds a basket of medicinal mushrooms in a sunlit forest meadow.

There's a number that stops most women in their tracks when they first hear it.

Thirty-four.

That's the commonly cited number of menopause symptoms — though the reality is it's just a starting point. Every woman's menopause is completely her own, and many women experience far more than 34 symptoms. Some are well known. Others — joint pain, tinnitus, itchy skin, changes in body odour — are rarely talked about, leaving women wondering what on earth is happening to their bodies.

And if you're reading this, you probably don't need a list to tell you that. You're living it.

What Menopause Actually Does to Your Body

As you move through perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels fluctuate and decline. What most women don't realise is that oestrogen receptors exist all over the body — which means this hormonal transition can have a head-to-toe effect in ways that can honestly make your head spin.

The symptoms that bring most women to The Midlife Apothecary are the big four:

Brain fog — that unsettling feeling of losing your train of thought mid-sentence, walking into rooms and forgetting why, struggling to concentrate on things that used to come easily.

Poor sleep — wired but exhausted at 2am, waking at 3am with your mind racing, night sweats pulling you out of the deep sleep your body desperately needs.

Fatigue — not ordinary tiredness. Bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep seems to fix. The kind that makes everything feel harder than it should.

Stress and mood changes — feeling overwhelmed, anxious, short-tempered in ways that don't feel like you. Perimenopausal women report irritability as their most common symptom — and while you may blame yourself, your shorter fuse is the result of hormone fluctuations, not a personality flaw.

These aren't character flaws. They're biology. And they deserve a whole-body response.

The Problem With Treating Symptoms in Isolation

Western medicine is brilliant at many things. Nuance around menopause has not traditionally been one of them.

The conventional approach treats each symptom separately — a pill for sleep, something else for mood, another thing for energy. Your body gets fragmented into a checklist of problems to be managed rather than a whole system asking for support.

HRT is a valid and well researched option for many women — and one we'll explore in a dedicated article. But for those looking for a natural, whole-body approach, or wanting to complement their existing treatment, nature has a great deal to offer.

Konenki — The Japanese Wisdom We've Been Missing

In Japan, menopause is called konenki — roughly translated as renewal energy or a change of life force. It describes not a decline but a transformation. A season of recalibration, not loss.

Japanese women experience menopause differently to their Western counterparts — lower rates of hot flushes, less reported brain fog, greater overall wellbeing during the transition. Researchers have long pointed to diet, lifestyle and philosophy as contributing factors.

The konenki approach treats the whole woman. Mind, body, energy, mood — not isolated symptoms but an interconnected system moving through a natural transition.

It asks a different question. Not "what's wrong with me?" but "What does my whole body need right now?"

Functional mushrooms are one of the most compelling answers nature offers.

10 Mushrooms. One Whole Body.

Functional mushrooms have been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years — long before Western science started catching up with what traditional healers already knew. Each mushroom targets something specific. Together, they support the whole system.

Here's what the ten most powerful functional mushrooms do — and why they matter for women in menopause:

1. Lion's Mane — Focus
The brain fog mushroom. Lion's mane supports nerve growth factor — the protein responsible for maintaining and creating brain cells. For women struggling with concentration, memory and mental clarity in menopause, this is the one.

2. Cordyceps — Energy
Not a caffeine hit — a deeper, more sustained energy support. Cordyceps supports oxygen utilisation in the body, helping with that bone-deep fatigue that no amount of sleep seems to fix.

3. Reishi — Sleep and Mood
The calming mushroom. Reishi has been used for centuries for stress reduction and sleep support. For women lying awake at 2am with a racing mind, reishi works with your nervous system rather than against it.

4. Shiitake — Immunity and Gut Health
Your gut is your second brain — and menopause can disrupt it significantly. Shiitake supports healthy digestion and immune function, keeping your foundations strong.

5. Chaga — Antioxidant Support
Rich in antioxidants, chaga supports overall wellness and helps manage inflammation — which rises during the hormonal shifts of menopause.

6. Maitake — Heart Health
Often overlooked but important — menopause increases cardiovascular risk. Maitake supports healthy cholesterol levels and immune function.

7. Tremella — Skin, Hair and Nails
The beauty mushroom. Tremella is known for its ability to support skin hydration, elasticity and hair and nail health — all of which can take a hit during menopause.

8. Royal Sun — Longevity
Supports bone health and immune function — both areas of concern as oestrogen levels decline and bone density becomes more important to protect.

9. White Button — Digestion
Simple but powerful. White button mushroom promotes healthy gut bacteria and digestive health, supporting the gut-brain connection that affects everything from mood to energy.

10. Black Fungus — Liver and Cardiovascular Health
Your liver works hard during hormonal transitions — processing and clearing excess hormones. Black fungus supports liver function and cardiovascular health from the inside out.

The Whole Body Approach in Practice

This is konenki in action. Not treating the symptom. Treating the system.

Brain, energy, sleep, mood, gut, immunity, skin, heart, digestion, liver — ten areas of your body that menopause touches, each supported by a mushroom that has been doing exactly this job for thousands of years.

The question isn't which symptom to tackle first. It's how to support all of them, simply, daily, without turning your morning into a supplement administration exercise.

One Gummy. Ten Mushrooms. Done.

This is why I recommend Ankhway's 10-in-1 Mushroom Gummies to every woman who asks me where to start.

Not because it's the only way to get functional mushrooms into your routine. But because it's the simplest — and simplicity is everything when you're already exhausted.

One gummy. Every day. All ten mushrooms. No capsules, no powders, no measuring, no forgetting which supplement does what.

And — genuinely, this matters — they taste delicious. Like a healthy Haribo. All the satisfaction of a sweet, none of the nasties.

Vegan, filler free, lab tested. Rated 4.7 stars from over 100,000 users. Backed by a 60 day money back guarantee — so if you try them and notice nothing, you've lost nothing.

Get 15% off any package with my link — including bundles.

Your Renewal Season

Menopause isn't something you just have to get through.

It's konenki. Renewal energy. A whole-body recalibration that — with the right support — can be the beginning of feeling more yourself than you have in years.

Nature has always known what women need. It's time to listen.

All information on The Midlife Apothecary is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.