Healthy eating can help reduce many of the symptoms and side effects associated with menopause, report doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. Menopause is the time in a woman's life when hormones begin to change and she no longer produces monthly egg cycles. There are a number of changes that cannot be stopped, but proper nutrition can mitigate or reduce some of the problems that occur in older women.
Function
As estrogen levels decrease in women going through menopause, the reproduction of bone marrow decreases, resulting in bone mass loss that can lead to osteoporosis and broken bones. Most women do not get enough calcium in their diets to prevent the bone degeneration. Cleveland Clinic doctors recommend that women in menopause take in at least two to four servings of calcium-rich foods and drinks per day. Good sources of calcium include sardines, broccoli, legumes and low-fat dairy products. Calcium supplements, taken with vitamin D, also can help women achieve sufficient levels.
Benefits
Isoflavones are plant estrogens that come from plant-based foods and benefit the body as estrogen to relieve some of the symptoms of menopause. Fruits and vegetables also have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels while reducing the severity of hot flashes and night sweats, common menopausal symptoms. Women should include two to four servings of fruit and three to five servings of vegetables in their daily diet for optimum health and to avoid menopausal side effects.
Identification
Isoflavones also can be found in beans and whole grains. Good sources of whole grains include bread, pasta, cereal, soy and brown rice. The combination of whole grains, beans and fresh fruit and vegetable also serve to provide sufficient fiber in a woman's diet that can help relieve constipation and lower the risk of heart disease.
Considerations
Many women gain weight after they enter menopause, even if they never had a weight problem in their youth, primarily because of a slowing metabolic system, report doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Food choices should be monitored to include less saturated and trans fats. Fats should comprise no more than 30 percent of each day's total calories.
Warning
Women going through menopause are subject to developing high blood pressure. Limiting the intake of salt to 6 g or less per day can help reduce high blood pressure, which in turn can relieve the intensity of hot flashes. There typically is enough salt in the daily diet to suffice. Women can best avoid excesses of salt by not adding it to food.
