According to CBS News, 50 million women in the United States are going through menopause at any given time. An estimated 80 percent of those women--40 million--also suffer from hot flashes resulting from menopause. Hot flashes are harmless but can be uncomfortable to women, triggering a perceived jump in body temperature. The symptoms of menopause are rarely pleasant for women, but there are natural means of combating these symptoms and reducing their intensity. Most women can make a lot of headway by adjusting what foods comprise their daily diet.
Soy
Soy is high in phytoestrogens--estrogen-like chemicals found in plants that can make a big impact on the severity of menopause symptoms. Soy is a staple food in Japan, where women are only 33 percent as likely as women in the United States and Canada of reporting menopause symptoms, according to HealthCastle.com. Women looking to ease menopausal symptoms should incorporate one to two servings of soy products each day. This will amount to roughly 40 to 80 mg of isoflavones--a beneficial chemical found in soy--which is the amount recommended by the North American Menopause Society.
Whole Grains
Menopause can cause fluctuations in a woman's mood due to the changes in hormone levels in her body. This can result in mild occurrences of menopausal depression often associated with a reduced level of serotonin in the brain. This chemical is released in the brain to trigger feelings of happiness and an increased mood. Women can improve serotonin by eating foods high in carbohydrates. Whole grain foods such as breads, cereals and pastas can help infuse a woman's body with carbohydrates and boost her mood.
Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids are key to a woman's overall health whether she's going through menopause or not, but they're even more important when treating to alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Oily fish are high in Omega-3 acids, which improve circulation in the body by boosting the blood's ability to transport oxygen. Trading out saturated fats in the diet that can clog arteries and eating fish can serve as a means of preventing numerous conditions, including heart disease, heart attack and stroke--all of which are more likely to occur to women going through menopause.
