The menopause
The menopause is caused by a fall in the amount of the hormone oestrogen produced by the ovaries. Menopause is a time of transition, the end of the fertile years and an individual experience for every woman. The decline or absence of oestrogen can mean changes to energy levels, memory, bone health, hormones, urinary and heart health.
Good nutrition and small lifestyle changes can help to maintain a healthy menopause. Exercising and eating right can make a real difference to how you feel – and can help to maintain health during and after the menopause.
HRT is commonly used to combat menopausal problems but can be unsuitable for some women for medical or personal reasons, and is generally not recommended for long-term use.
Research is beginning to focus on the effects of optimal nutrition on the health and wellbeing of women around the time of the menopause. It is increasingly being found that good nutrition and optimising the intake of specific nutrients, together with small lifestyle changes can offer significant help in maintaining a healthy menopause and make a real difference to how women feel.
The best diet possible is recommended to meet the demands made on the body by the menopause. Some women may also find it useful to safeguard their diet, through supplementation of essential nutrients at a sensible level. Women from the eastern and western worlds often have very different experiences of the menopause and it is thought that differences in dietary characteristics may account for this.
As there are many different supplements on the market, it is important to choose an appropriate, balanced level supplement that can be taken safely with or without HRT, such as Vitabiotics Menopace®.
Establish healthy eating habits:
Around the time of the menopause your oestrogen hormone is diminishing. To help your body adapt, you should ensure that you are getting enough of the right foods to provide specific nutrients to keep you healthy during the menopause and beyond.
A healthy, nutritious diet will help support a healthy menopause and general health during this time.
More about nutrients and the menopause
Hormone Balance
Phytoestrogens such as soy Isoflavones found in soya beans, tofu, soya milk, soya flour and other soya based products are associated with a wide range of positive health benefits. Soy's two prominent isoflavones are genistein and daidzein. Once in the digestive tract, isoflavones are converted to the phytoestrogen composition by bacteria. While weaker than the body's oestrogen, these 'phytoestrogens' may help to maintain health at menopause.
Soy's beneficial effects through diet were originally highlighted by studies showing substantial differences between high intake (asian) versus low intake (western) of dietary soy. Studies show that soy proteins may help support healthy High density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, having a positive influence on heart health. New research demonstrates that soy isoflavones also act as antioxidants – helping to inhibit the production of free radicals, which are associated with ageing.
Gamma Linolenic Acid (G.L.A) is an essential fatty acid found primarily in vegetable oils in the diet such as evening primrose oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage oil and hemp seed oil. G.L.A is the precursor for the production of the protective and calming prostaglandin PGE1 which helps regulate hormonal balance and support menopausal health. GLA Synthesis – two minerals, zinc and magnesium, and three vitamins, namely vitamin C, vitamin B6 and niacin for prostaglandin systhesis, and are essential for the natural synthesis of G.L.A. from Linolenic Acid and its conversion to prostaglandins.
Diet and bone health
As oestrogen levels diminish in the female body during the menopause, bone density may lessen and can contribute to osteoporosis (brittle bones). Increasing calcium intake ( in milk, yoghurt, cheese, sardines or small fish with bones, vegetable such as; broccoli, as well as nuts and seeds) may help support a healthy bone density. To ensure that the calcium is fully absorbed and deposited in the bones, it should be combined with foods rich in phosphorus such as (peanuts, meat, cheese, onions, garlic) and combined with vitamin D (in oily fish, lentils, eggs and brown rice).
Enzymes are biomolecules that catalyse, in other words, increase the rates of chemical reactions in the body. They are important because they help with many essential chemical processes within the body. Over 300 enzymes require the presence of magnesium for their catalytic action, including all enzymes utilizing or synthesizing ATP (energy in cells). Adult human bodies contain about 24 grams of magnesium, with 60% in the skeleton. Magnesium appears to facilitate calcium absorption and is found in fish like halibut, nuts, cereals, grains, seeds and vegetables (especially green leafy ones).
Avoid drinking tea and fizzy, carbonated drinks with meals and steer clear of high protein slimming diets which can all interfere with calcium absorption.
Vitamin D helps calcium absorption which is vital for strong bones and also helps maintain a positive calcium balance in women through all stages of menopause. Several other nutrients, including vitamin C, zinc manganese and omega-3 are related to bone health in women.
Maintaining a strong Immune System during the menopause
There is much more to a healthy immune system than just Vitamin C. Zinc, iron, copper and vitamins C, E and B-complex can all help to maintain a healthy immune system. Selenium and vitamins A, C and E act through their antioxidant action, while zinc, magnesium and copper act as co-factors in antioxidant enzymes.
Immune system nutrients found in certain foods
Zinc: shellfish, liver, oxtail and corned beef, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, nuts, wholegrains and cheese.
Iron: heme-Iron from; meat and fish sources – beef, pork, lamb, eggs and seafood, (pick red meats that are lean). Non-heme iron from: green leafy vegetables, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, parsley, cabbage, dried beans and certain fortified foods – cereals, oatmeal. Dried fruits – apricots, raisins, dates – prunes, figs.
Copper: liver, sesame seeds, raw cashews, soybeans, barley, raw sunflower seeds.
Selenium: brazil nuts, wheat germ, kidney and liver, oily fish including tuna, sunflower seeds, lentils, cashew nuts).
Antioxidants
Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and a biological system's ability to detoxify or easily repair the resulting damage, i.e. in tissues. Free radicals can be created and cause damage to the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA.
Free Radicals are an important factor in the ageing process and are constantly formed in most cells and tissues. They are typically scavenged by antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E; these antioxidants may help support the body from free radical damage.
Vitamin E is thought to help maintain the heat regulation capacity of the body and reduce the breakdown of the body's progesterone, hence it may help to maintain a healthy body temperature as well as have benefits to the cardiovascular system.
Antioxidant vitamins found in certain foods
Vitamin A: liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish), carrots, broccoli – especially in the leaves, sweet potatoes, kale, butter ,spinach and leafy vegetables and pumpkin.
Vitamin C: colourful fruit and vegetables such as – rose hips, oranges, kiwi, lemon, berries --like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, peppers, sprouts, kale and spring greens.
Vitamin E: avocado, nuts such as almonds or hazelnuts and seeds. Spinach and other green leafy vegetables. Vegetable oils like sunflower and olive oil. Wheat germ, wholegrain foods, milk and asparagus.)
Other nutrients for a healthy menopause
Pantothenic acid (found in whole-grain cereals, legumes, eggs, meat, and royal jelly) is known to play a role in supporting the function of the adrenal glands and adipose tissue, which form the body's major sources of oestrogens after the menopause. Pantothenic acid, along with vitamin B1 (Thiamin) found in: yeast, oatmeal, flax, brown rice whole grain flour (rye or wheat), asparagus kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, pork liver (beef or pork), eggs), may also help maintain the action of oestradiol. B vitamins play an important role in the central nervous system and brain methylation pathways, helping to maintain emotional balance during the menopause.
Vitamin B6 and magnesium complement each other to help maintain a healthy mood during the menopause. Moreover, vitamin B12, thiamine, niacin and folate are essential for a healthy nervous system because the brain has a special need for them to perform at its best, and is more sensitive to fluctuations in the body levels of these nutrients.
Vitamin B6: Good sources include meats, whole grain products, vegetables, and nuts.
Vitamin B12: meat, dairy products and eggs. Vegans may find it difficult to get enough vitamins B12 so should try to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12. These may include yeast extracts, certain vegetable stocks, veggie burger mixes, textured vegetable protein, soya milks, vegetable and sunflower margarines, and breakfast cereals.
Niacin is essentially found in meat, wheat germ, dairy products, and yeast.
Folate found in leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other fruits and vegetables. Liver and liver products also contain high amounts of folate.
A number of minerals, including chromium, magnesium and zinc, along with the vitamin C, B6 and y help to control the balance of glucose in the body. An imbalance of glucose can be associated with mood swings as are commonly experienced throughout the day, often resulting in difficulty getting to sleep.
Vitamins E, A and C plus zinc are important for keeping the vaginal membranes healthy as the declining oestrogen levels tend to dry up the vaginal secretions, which in turn affects a woman's normal healthy sex life.
Iodine plays an important role in regulating the body's fat metabolism. The need for iodine increases with age and it may also help support a healthy cardiovascular system. (Iodine: sea life, such as kelp and certain seafood, as well as plants grown on iodine-rich soil)
A well as essential vitamins and minerals you should try to:
Eat more fibre, in the form of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains such as: oats, brown rice, bulgur wheat and quinoa. Fibre can help maintain a healthy cholesterol balance as well as help to prevent constipation and hence reabsorption of toxins to the body that in turn can make you feel sluggish.
Typically we consume much more Omega 6 in our diets than Omega 3 so we could put this if you wish but may not be necessary.
Polyunsaturated fats are classified by their structures into omega-3s and omega-6s, and you need both types; these are called the essential fatty acids because you cannot make them in your body and must get them from your food.
For most of the time humans have been on earth we have eaten foods containing omega-6's and omega-3's in a ratio of about 2:1. However, over the last 100 years or so, the ratio has changed to from 2:1 to 10-20:1. Our diet now includes huge amounts of oils that are extracted from plants and used for cooking or in prepared foods. These oils (such as corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil) are primarily omega-6s. We have decreased our intake of omega-3's, found primarily in whole grains, beans and other seeds, and seafood. It is therefore advisable to have ample omega-3, found in cold water oily fish, or in vegetarian sources such as; nuts, seeds, especially flaxseed (linseed) which is also a form of phytoestrogen, as well as providing omega-3 oils. Essential fatty acids help support the health of your cardiovascular system, skin, hair and nails.
Tryptophan, found in proteins such foods such as bananas, mangoes, eggs, milk, sesame, soya beans and sunflower seeds, which can help produce serotonin as it is synthesised via tryptophan hydroxylase. Serotonin is the feel good chemical in your brain and can help to assist in sleep and mood.
Eat little and often to maintain blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates, such as oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice, may help sustain energy release, as blood sugar levels may have an effect on menopausal symptoms.
Avoid sugary foods, junk food/ highly processed food, which can be high in salt and additives as well as sugar which can contribute to imbalances in blood sugar as well as weight gain.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit, most are rich in potassium to help support a healthy fluid retention. Fresh vegetables, especially dark leafy vegetables, which provide micronutrients.
Drink plenty of filtered water, to ensure good hydration and help maintain body temperature and fluid balance. Soya milk, a good source of protein, and may also contain phytoestrogens. Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice. Herbal teas such as red clover.
Limit stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and tea – which can hinder the absorption of nutrients and produce heat in the body.
Limit or moderate your intake of salt, too much can affect blood pressure and water retention.
Limit saturated fat – which can affect blood lipid levels, the arteries and heart health.
Avoid spicy foods and hot foods and drinks and these can often make menopausal symptoms worse.
Exercise
Keeping physically active during this time of change can help with many different health aspects; appetite, digestion, weight control, agility, heart health and bones health – and can have a powerful, positive effect on emotions, mental health and your love life.
A combination of these following three types of regular exercise is recommended
Weight bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, running, tennis, stair climbing, aerobics, helps to maintain bone density, particularly important at the time of the menopause when falling oestrogen levels can lead to a lower bone density. Aerobic exercise, which raises the heart rate, is good for heart health and circulation
Keep supple by doing exercise such as yoga or pilates to help maintain core stability, flexibility and joint movement.
Aim for 30 minutes per day of something you enjoy.
Positive lifestyle changes to help with the menopause:
Give up smoking (it's a big risk factor in osteoporosis and smoking doubles your odds of developing heart disease)
Maintain a healthy body weight and lean body mass
Keep a positive attitude. Get emotional support – chat to friends or your doctor if necessary.
Stress control – learn to relax, take 30 minutes each day to do something just for you
Sleep in a cool room
Dress in layers for easier temperature control
Carry a small battery operated hand fan to help to cool down when needed. A water vaporiser spay may also be helpful, and carrying a small bottle of cool drinking water.
Laugh and enjoy yourself!
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