The symptoms of menopause send many women running, sweat-drenched, to their nearest pharmacy or doctors. But if traditional medications and treatments don't offer relief from menopause symptoms, some women may opt for alternative medications -- herbs, vitamins or supplements not prescribed by their doctor. Weight gain is common for women during menopause. Although some may wonder if these herbs and supplements are causing the weight gain, it's more likely that age and the onset of menopause are actually to blame.
What Happens in Menopause
When you enter menopause, your body stops your monthly menstruation and ovulation cycle. You'll stop having your monthly period. And once you stop ovulating, you can no longer get pregnant. The levels of your hormones estrogen and progesterone also change.
Symptoms of Menopause
Changing hormones can cause a number of symptoms. Hot flashes and heavy sweating, especially at night, are common. Before your period stops altogether, you'll likely notice that it's different than usual and may be irregular, unusually heavy or unusually light. Menopause may also affect your mood, making you more irritable or anxious than normal. Difficulty sleeping and loss of libido may also occur. You also find that you gain weight during menopause, and your body shape changes.
Alternative Medicine for Menopause
Alternative medicines for menopause include naturally occurring types of estrogens called phytoestrogens, according to MayoClinic.com. Women can get phytoestrogens through foods like legumes, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and flaxseed. Black cohosh is another herb commonly used by menopausal women to help manage hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. In addition, some women try vitamin E supplements to help manage hot flashes. However, research doesn't show that these alternative medicines offer any benefit in relief of menopause symptoms.
Causes of Weight Gain
According to the Cleveland Clinic, estrogen doesn't actually make you put on pounds of fat. Estrogen may cause your body to retain water, making you swell and gain weight -- but only temporarily until you shed the excess water. However, estrogen is not truly the cause of permanent weight gain or more fat on the body, notes the Cleveland Clinic. It's more likely that changes in lifestyle -- eating fattening food while becoming more sedentary and exercising less -- is the cause of weight gain before and during menopause. MayoClinic.com also notes that your body naturally loses muscle mass as you get older, which means you may have more fat in your body instead of muscle -- and you burn fewer calories.
Keeping the Weight Away
Middle age and menopause are no excuse to let the weight pile on, as you still have to do your part to stay fit, healthy and ward off health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. You may need to alter your eating habits and cut back on calories even more to prevent weight gain. Choosing low-fat foods, limiting salt and sugars, and increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help keep you slim and fit before, during and after menopause.
