Menopause is a natural cycle of a woman's life that occurs 12 months following her last menstrual cycle. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing eggs and the production of estrogen falls drastically. Postmenopausal women experience many symptoms, like hot flashes, vaginal dryness and sleeplessness, and have an increased risk for chronic diseases like osteoporosis and heart disease due to the lack of estrogen. Eating a healthy diet filled with nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, iron and fiber can help a woman cope with the changes and reduce the severity of some conditions.
Calcium
Although most women acquire their maximum bone mass by the age of 18, bone is made up of living cells that continually get broken down and replaced with new ones. As women age, the rate at which the body forms new bone becomes slower than the rate at which it breaks down the old bone. The reduction in circulating estrogen following menopause enhances this difference, leading to porous and weak bones, a condition known as osteoporosis. To help the body continue to produce new bone, postmenopausal women need to intake more calcium, increasing their intake from 1,000mg per day to at least 1,200mg per day. To do this, women should consume two to four servings of low-fat dairy products per day and eat calcium-rich foods like clams, sardines, broccoli and legumes, according to The Cleveland Clinic.
Vitamin D
The body can only absorb calcium in the presence of vitamin D. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, occurs naturally in very few foods, but food manufacturers fortify foods like milk, breakfast cereals and orange juice with vitamin D. The body can also produce vitamin D in skin cells when triggered by ultraviolet rays from the sun. As women age their skin produces vitamin D less efficiently. In addition, reduced time spent outside reduces vitamin D production. After menopause women need to increase their intake of vitamin D to between 15 and 20mcg per day to ensure calcium absorption and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. They can do this by increasing their intake of vitamin D-fortified foods.
Iron
Iron is an essential mineral necessary for the transport of oxygen throughout the body. Red blood cells contain a protein known as hemoglobin. Hemoglobin, which contains iron, binds the oxygen molecules to carry it to all the cells in the body. Women in menopause should consume iron-rich foods to avoid an iron deficiency. An iron deficiency causes fatigue and irritability, two symptoms also experienced during menopause. The Cleveland Clinic suggests eating at least three servings of iron-rich foods like red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables or nuts.
Fiber
Dietary fiber describes the portion of a plant-derived food that the body cannot break down during the process of digestion. Fiber not only supports a healthy digestive system, it also affects blood cholesterol levels. When cholesterol, a type of fat, increases, it accumulates along the walls of the blood vessels, which increases the risk for heart disease. Women experience an increase in total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, during menopause. Soluble fiber, the type of fiber that absorbs water in the body, helps to lower cholesterol levels. Postmenopausal women should consume a high-fiber diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables to help keep their risk for heart disease low.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Menopause: Staying Healthy Through Good Nutrition
- MayoClinic.com; Menopause; July 2009
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements; Calcium; January 2011
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements; Vitamin D; February 2011
- Colorado State University Extension; Dietary Fiber; Anderson et al.; December 2010
- National Osteoporosis Foundation: Fast Facts
