Perimenopause, which may last from two to 10 years, marks the time of life when a woman transitions from having regular menstrual periods to ending menstruation. As your ovaries stop functioning, you start experiencing symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep problems and mood swings. Your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis also increase during this time. You can stay in good health during perimenopause, partly through proper nutrition.
Nutrients to Prevent Heart Disease
Perimenopause causes a decrease in estrogen levels. Estrogen helps protect your arterial walls from the buildup of fat and cholesterol. The lower your estrogen levels, the higher your risk of heart disease. Protect yourself from heart disease by limiting your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, while increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake of saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your total calories and limiting your cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams per day. If you already have heart disease, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams each day.
Nutrients to Prevent Bone Loss
The estrogen decreases associated with perimenopause also increases your risk of losing calcium from your bones. Fight this loss and the loss of bone strength by participating in weight-bearing exercise and consuming adequate amounts of calcium. Perimenopausal women need between 1,200 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium each day, according to the Langone Medical Center at New York University. Good sources of calcium include reduced fat milk and other dairy products, sardines, canned salmon with bones, broccoli, soybeans, turnip greens and calcium-fortified foods. To help your body absorb calcium, take a dietary supplement that contains 400 to 900 units of vitamin D each day. However, consult your doctor prior to starting any dietary supplement. Spending at least 15 minutes in the sun each day and eating salmon and tuna also help you get adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Nutrition for Menstruation
The heavy menstrual flow associated with perimenopause increases the importance of consuming adequate amounts of iron. Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian in Toronto, Canada, recommends consuming 18 milligrams of iron every day while you continue to have your period. As perimenopause leads to menopause and your periods stop, you only need 8 milligrams of iron each day. Consume iron by eating more chicken, fish, eggs, red meat, legumes, tofu, fortified foods, raisins and spinach.
Nutrients to Perimenopausal Symptoms
Nutrients, such as isoflavones, carbohydrates and vitamin B-12, help control uncomfortable perimenopausal symptoms. Isoflavones in soy foods offer women a source of estrogen, which may help relieve hot flashes, according to Beck. Consume 40 to 80 milligrams of isoflavones, the recommended intake to reduce hot flashes, by eating one to two servings of soy nuts, green soybeans, tempeh, soy flour or tofu. A small serving of a carbohydrate-rich food, such as cereal or toast, eaten just before bed provides the brain with tryptophan and may help facilitate sleep. Further enhance your ability to sleep by consuming 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 by eating meat, fish, eggs, diary products and poultry.
References
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Perimenopause
- MayoClinic.com; Perimenopause: Lifestyle and Home Remedies; September 2010
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- Langone Medical Center; Nutrition and Menopause; Jill Shuman
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Midlife Transitions
- Leslie Beck, RD; Nutrition Strategies for Managing Perimenopause; May 2002
