Supplement Savvy: A Closer Look at Menopause Complete with DAO — and What Every Ingredient Actually Does
- Pamela Sloop
- Jul 23
- 6 min read
By Pamela Sloop, FNP-C
If you have followed my Supplement Savvy series for any length of time, you know how I feel about the supplement aisle: it can feel a little like standing in front of a wall of a thousand promises, all shouting at once. As a Family Nurse Practitioner who has spent nearly two decades in women’s health — and, full disclosure, a woman living through this season myself — my job is to help you quiet that noise and look at what is actually inside the bottle. So today I want to walk through a formula that caught my attention because it takes an unusually thoughtful, three-part approach to the menopausal transition:
Think of perimenopause and menopause less like a single switch flipping off and more like an orchestra that suddenly loses its conductor. Estrogen and progesterone — the hormones that kept everyone playing in time — start to come and go unpredictably, and different sections of the body react in their own way. Some women feel it as hot flashes, some as brain fog, and some as a surprising new sensitivity to foods and wine they have happily enjoyed for years. What I like about this particular formula is that it does not pretend the transition is just one thing. It targets three overlapping areas at once. Let’s open the hood and look at each ingredient.*
Diamine Oxidase (DAO) — 15,000 HDU
This is the ingredient that sets OmneDiem® Menopause Complete apart from a typical “menopause blend,” and it ties directly back to a topic I wrote about recently: histamine. DAO, or diamine oxidase, is the primary enzyme your gut uses to break down histamine from the foods and drinks you consume.* When DAO activity is low, that dietary histamine has a harder time clearing, which is where symptoms like flushing after red wine or aged cheese can come from.
Here is the perimenopause connection that so many women are never told about: estrogen and histamine are chemically chatty with one another, and the hormonal swings of this life stage can change how comfortably your body handles histamine. Pairing a hormone-support formula with DAO is a genuinely clever piece of design. A 2019 clinical study found that oral DAO supplementation significantly improved symptoms in people with histamine intolerance, with symptoms returning when supplementation stopped, and a 2022 review in Biomolecules reinforced DAO’s role in supporting the body’s natural histamine breakdown in the gut.* At 15,000 HDU per serving, this is a meaningful dose.
Estro8PN Hops (8-Prenylnaringenin)
Yes — hops, the same plant that flavors beer. Standardized hop extract delivers a compound called 8-prenylnaringenin, which researchers describe as one of the most potent plant phytoestrogens identified to date. A phytoestrogen is a botanical compound, not a hormone or a drug; think of it as a gentle plant-based note that can help support the body during a time when its own estrogen is fluctuating.* In a 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, a standardized hop extract standardized to 100 µg of 8-prenylnaringenin daily was studied for menopausal comfort, and a 2018 review in Molecules summarized the therapeutic interest in this compound for the menopausal transition.* This is the “conductor’s gentle stand-in” of the formula — a plant compound chosen to help support hormonal balance and mood.*
Flaxseed Lignans
Flaxseed is the richest dietary source of lignans, another class of phytoestrogens. Your gut bacteria convert these lignans into compounds called enterodiol and enterolactone, which have mild, tissue-dependent estrogen-like activity.* I always describe flax to my patients as a “food-first” ingredient — it is something many of us could stand to eat more of anyway. The research here is genuinely mixed and I want to be honest about that: an early pilot study reported that flaxseed was associated with a meaningful reduction in hot flash frequency, while a larger Phase III trial did not find a significant benefit over placebo. What lignans reliably offer is a well-tolerated, plant-based source of phytoestrogens to round out the formula’s botanical support.*
Black Cohosh
If any herb has earned “household name” status in the menopause conversation, it is black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). It has been used traditionally for generations, and it remains one of the most studied botanicals for the menopausal transition. The evidence is nuanced — some systematic reviews are inconclusive, but a 2021 meta-analysis of a standardized isopropanolic extract found significant benefit for neurovegetative and psychological symptoms of menopause compared with placebo.* The honest takeaway I share with patients is that black cohosh does not work dramatically for everyone, but it has a long history of traditional use and a reasonable body of research supporting its role in menopausal comfort.*
Citicoline
Last but truly not least — and my personal favorite inclusion — is citicoline, for the symptom so many women tell me bothers them most: brain fog. Citicoline (CDP-choline) is a well-studied nootropic that supplies building blocks your brain uses for cell-membrane integrity and for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter central to memory and focus.* In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in The Journal of Nutrition, healthy older adults who took 500 mg of citicoline daily for 12 weeks showed significant improvements in memory compared with placebo.* If the DAO addresses your gut and the botanicals address your hormones, citicoline is the ingredient reaching for the fog between your ears — helping support focus and mental clarity, without the jitters of a stimulant.*
My Bottom Line
What I appreciate about OmneDiem® Menopause Complete with DAO is that it respects how layered this life stage really is. Rather than a single herb making a single big promise, it combines a gut enzyme, two families of phytoestrogens, a traditional botanical, and a cognitive support ingredient — clean, non-GMO, gluten-free, and soy-free — into one daily capsule.* One quick but important note: the DAO here is porcine-derived, so it is not suitable for anyone with a pork allergy or following a vegetarian, vegan, kosher, or halal diet.
As always, I want you to be your own best advocate. A supplement is one tool in a much larger toolbox that includes sleep, movement, nourishing food, and a good relationship with your own healthcare provider. Please talk with your provider before starting anything new — especially if you are taking medication, including hormone therapy. This is your season to age gracefully, on your terms, and with good information in hand.
Related Resources from Art of Graceful Aging
If this was helpful, here are a few of my related posts you may want to read next:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OmneDiem® Menopause Complete with DAO?
It is a daily dietary supplement formulated for women in perimenopause and menopause that combines diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme, Estro8PN hops, flaxseed lignans, black cohosh, and citicoline to support histamine metabolism, hormonal balance, and mental clarity in one capsule.*
Is Menopause Complete the same as hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
No. It is a dietary supplement, not a drug and not HRT. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.*
Why is a histamine enzyme in a menopause supplement?
Hormone shifts during the menopausal transition can affect how the body handles histamine. DAO supports the body’s natural breakdown of dietary histamine, which is why it is paired here with hormonal and cognitive support ingredients.*
Can I take it with my other supplements or medications?
Talk with your own healthcare provider first, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication (including hormone therapy), or managing a health condition. The DAO is porcine-derived and is not suitable for those with pork allergies or following vegetarian, vegan, kosher, or halal diets.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement.
Scientific References
1. Schnedl WJ, et al. Diamine oxidase supplementation improves symptoms in patients with histamine intolerance. Food Science and Biotechnology. 2019. PMC6859183
2. Comas-Basté O, et al. Toward Oral Supplementation of Diamine Oxidase for the Treatment of Histamine Intolerance. 2022. PMC9268349
3. Štulíková K, et al. Therapeutic Perspectives of 8-Prenylnaringenin, a Potent Phytoestrogen from Hops. Molecules. 2018. PMC6017581
4. Heyerick A, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the use of a standardized hop extract to alleviate menopausal discomforts. Maturitas. ScienceDirect
5. Pruthi S, et al. Pilot Evaluation of Flaxseed for the Management of Hot Flashes. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology. 2007.
6. Pruthi S, et al. A Phase III, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Flaxseed for the Treatment of Hot Flashes: NCCTG N08C7. PMC3246070
7. Castelo-Branco C, et al. Review & meta-analysis: isopropanolic black cohosh extract iCR for menopausal symptoms. Climacteric. 2021. Climacteric
8. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Black Cohosh — Health Professional Fact Sheet. ods.od.nih.gov
9. Nakazaki E, et al. Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. The Journal of Nutrition. 2021. PMC8349115
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