During menopause your body undergoes changes in several systems. Your hormone levels shift -- estrogen decreases -- and your body's nutritional needs change. Since you are no longer menstruating, you need less iron in your diet and you should limit how much salt you consume. In addition, you will need to increase your intake of calcium and vitamin D for strong bones and vitamins B12 and C for healthy cells, nerves and organs.
Calcium
Osteoporosis is a disease where you lose bone mass; bones become brittle and more susceptible to fractures and breaks. Estrogen provides protection to your bones by helping to inhibit cells that break down bone structure, according to PubMed. After menopause, estrogen levels fall, leaving you more vulnerable to bone loss. Although taking calcium cannot prevent bone loss after menopause, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, it plays an essential role in maintaining bone quality. Increasing your calcium and vitamin D intake after menopause will reduce your risk of fractures and breaks. For women over 50, 1,200 mg per day is recommended.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, working with the mineral to provide quality bone structure, and therefore, in helping to keep bone loss at a minimun after menopause. Formed when you expose your skin to sunlight, vitamin D is also needed for a healthy immune system. The Mayo Clinic reports that this vitamin may also reduce blood pressure and prevent certain types of cancer and autoimmune diseases. While you can increase your vitamin D levels by sitting in the sun, supplemental D2 and D3 are a potentially safer alternative if you are at risk for skin cancer. The current recommended intake is 200 to 600 IU's per day.
Vitamin B12
Although B12 deficiency is rare, as you age you may have more difficulty absorbing this vitamin from the foods you eat; B12 is readily found in poultry, seafood, meat and dairy products. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you are also at risk for deficiency. B12 works to maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells and is also used to make your DNA, without which your cells would not properly form or function. If you are over 50, the Linus Pauling Institute recommends you take 2.4 mcg per day in supplemental form.
Vitamin C
Taking enough vitamin C can help your body handle a variety of stressors and keep you looking and feeling healthy long after menopause. Taking vitamin C can help protect you from heart disease -- a risk that increases after menopause -- and may help reduce hot flashes, according to the Nutritional-Supplement-Information-Centre website. Vitamin C is used to create collagen, an important structure in your skin, muscles, ligaments and tendons as well as your bones and blood vessels. This vitamin is also a potent antioxidant which protects your body from free radicals that can damage cells, tissues and organs. It helps speed wound healing and helps promote energy production. Adult females should get around 2,000 mg per day of vitamin C.
References
- American Institute for Cancer Research; Do Nutritional Needs Change After Menopause; Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN; April 2010
- "Cell Cycle"; Unraveling Estrogen Action in Osteoporosis; S.A. Krum and M. Brown; May 2008
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Osteoporosis
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin D
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin B12
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin C
