The pre-menopausal phase is a challenging time for many women. They may find their lives disrupted by hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, depression and changes in bone mineral density. Because well-designed scientific studies have cast doubt on the safety of taking supplemental hormones, many women are using soy products for the phytoestrogens they contain. Other women, for various reasons, prefer not to. If you want to avoid using soy, you have other dietary alternatives that can ease pre-menopausal symptoms.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Supplementing your diet with ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid, E-EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, may reduce the number of hot flashes you have, according to a study published in the March-April 2009 issue of "Menopause." Researchers found that women given E-EPA for eight weeks had significantly fewer hot flashes than women given a placebo. Furthermore, the number of women showing a decrease in hot flashes was three times greater in the treatment group than among those in the placebo group.
Green and Yellow Vegetables
A study of perimenopausal and menopausal women published in the June 2003 issue of the Korean Journal "Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi" questioned 276 women about their diets and the severity of their menopausal symptoms. An analysis of the questionnaires revealed that a higher consumption of green and yellow vegetables and a reduced intake of coffee, sweets and processed foods were associated with a reduced number of hot flashes.
Avoid Very High Protein Diets
Pre-menopausal women concerned about bone health may want to avoid very high protein diets for weight loss, according to a study published in the October 2010 issue of "Journal of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences." In this study, menopausal women were put on either a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet containing 18 percent protein or a meat-based diet containing 30 percent protein. Women on the vegetarian diet showed little change in bone mineral density, but women in the meat-based diet showed significant decreases.
Botanical and Dietary Supplements
A review paper published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of Women's Health" analyzed studies of black cohosh, red clover, which contains phytoestrogens, and soy products. The authors concluded that black cohosh is safe and effective for reducing hot flashes and may improve accompanying mood disorders. However, both soy and red clover appear to have only minimal effects on menopausal symptoms. St. John's wort may improve mild to moderate depression, but since this herb may interact with other drugs, always discuss its use with your doctor.
References
- "Menopause"; Effects of Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic Acid Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation On Hot Flashes and Quality of Life Among Middle-aged Women: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial; M. Lucas, et al.; March-April 2009
- "Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi"; Association of Diet With Menopausal Symptoms in Korean Middle-aged Women; Y.J. Park, et al.; June 2003
- "Journal of Women's Health"; Botanical and Dietary Supplements for Menopausal Symptoms: What Works, What Does Not; S.E. Geller, et al.; September 2005
- "Journal of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences"; Protein Intake, Weight Loss, and Bone Mineral Density In Posmenopausal Women; W.W. Campbell, et al.; October 2010
- Mayo Clinic: St. John's Wort
