Eat to ease the menopause
What is the menopause and how can you eat to ease some of the unwelcome symptoms associated with it?
About the menopause
Most women dread the word menopause. In reality it affects women in completely different ways, but the most common symptoms include hot flushes, sweating, insomnia, anxiety, impairment of memory and fatigue. Long term consequences may include a decline in libido, osteoporosis, heart disease and potentially dementia – all of which are linked to reduced oestrogen levels.
Typically, a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs in her early fifties, and the menstrual cycle stops. Some women sail through this life stage with only the odd hot flush, but others can struggle with symptoms such as weight gain, anxiety and fluctuating emotions. The physiological reason why the body starts changing is largely down to the drop in oestrogen production and the effect this has on other hormones, including progesterone. Although we think of these hormones as important for female reproduction, they do so much more than that, such as help to regulate our mood, brain and keep our bones strong.
As the ovaries stop manufacturing hormones, symptoms may begin. For example, oestrogen helps lift our mood so when levels fall, we may feel depressed, whilst progesterone helps reduce hot flushes and support restful sleep. Some women opt to support levels of these hormones with hormone replacement therapy (HRT); others try natural remedies. There is no single solution to menopause and whichever approach you adopt, you should accompany it with an all-round healthy diet and lifestyle. For example, choosing to eat or avoid certain foods may help make the menopause a little more bearable.
Check out how diet may help some common menopausal symptoms.
1. Hot flushes
Decreased levels of oestrogen may cause the body’s natural thermostat, the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus, to become sensitive to even the slightest change in body temperature. This means foods with a thermogenic (heat-producing) effect may trigger or worsen hot flushes as well as night sweats.
Diet tip
Look to avoid or at least cut back on stimulants such as coffee, alcohol, chocolate as well as spices, like chilli, and spicy foods, especially in the evening.
2. Fatigue
As oestrogen levels fall your body becomes less responsive to insulin this may cause sugar cravings and a desire to snack on more sugary foods. Eating like this may lead to a sharp rise in your blood glucose, followed by a sharp dip, which may leave you feeling tired and drained.
Diet tip
Be aware that you may have a more intense ‘need’ for sugary foods and opt to snack on whole foods like fresh fruit with a few nuts, whole-grain cereals as well as protein foods like dairy.
3. Weight gain
At this time in your life, your body begins to use energy differently, fat cells change and you may notice that you gain weight more easily. This is due to a number of factors including the fact that we may need fewer calories, some women become less active and as we age we lose muscle mass, which is metabolically active, meaning muscle burns more calories.
Diet tip
Check you are eating adequate amounts of high-quality protein from food sources like lean meat, fish, dairy, nuts and seeds. Protein is important at this life stage (look to achieve about 1.1g per kilogram of body weight per day) because it may help you maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI). Combine protein sources with complex carbs, such as brown grains, as these will help balance blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
4. Dry skin
Oestrogen is thought to support the health of the skin and as levels decline, skin dryness, wrinkling and sagging are likely to occur more rapidly.
Diet tip
Nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, as well as seeds like chia and flaxseed provide healthy amounts of oil and protective vitamin E and zinc. These nutrients and oils may support the skin’s hydration levels and appearance.
Learn more about how to eat for healthy skin.
5. Depression and irritability
When oestrogen levels fluctuate it may leave us at greater risk of depression, irritability and emotional swings.
Diet tip
Focus on protein foods that are rich in an amino acid called tryptophan, these include turkey, cottage cheese, oats and legumes. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin which is thought to support mood, sleep and appetite. Other useful strategies to help you feel less irritable are to eat breakfast and not miss meals – this helps avoid erratic blood sugar levels which are known to lead to irritability, mood swings and make you ’hangry’.
6. Bone loss
Oestrogen plays an important role in the regulation of bone turnover as we age and when levels of oestrogen levels decline, we’re likely to experience a greater degree of bone loss.
Diet tip
Look to increase your intake of foods rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins D and K, these nutrients help maintain the integrity of our bones. Useful foods include dairy, eggs, canned fish with bones and leafy green vegetables. High amounts of phosphorous – found in processed foods and fizzy drinks – should be avoided because phosphorous at high levels accelerates the loss of minerals, like calcium, from the bone.
In conjunction with a balanced and varied diet, weight-bearing exercise is important, but if you have been diagnosed with any form of bone loss, check with your doctor to ensure you can exercise safely and effectively.
Find out more about the best sources of calcium and learn about what affects osteoporosis and bone density.
7. Mood swings
Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone are the trigger for many classic menopausal symptoms including mood swings and changes in emotions, such as feelings of sadness.
Diet tip
Phyto or plant oestrogens, found in certain foods, are known to have a mild oestrogenic effect, they work by binding with oestrogen receptor sites found on our cells, in this way they may increase the total oestrogenic effect in the body. A high intake of phytoestrogens is thought to explain why hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms rarely occur in populations consuming a predominantly plant-based diet.
Useful foods to include are fermented soya products such as tofu, tempeh and miso, flaxseeds, pumpkins seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb and green beans.
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This page was last reviewed on 8 October 2024 by Kerry Torrens.
Kerry Torrens is a qualified Nutritionist (MBANT) with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.
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