Foods to help ease symptoms of menopause

Menopause is defined as the end of a woman's menstrual periods. There are many side effects and symptoms but can be controlled somewhat with a healthy diet.  Here are some facts and food suggestions.

This process usually stretches from around the age of 45 to about 55. During menopause, fluctuations in estrogen levels can cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness and weight gain. While some women experience few or no symptoms, others experience extreme discomfort. Menopause can also affect a woman's life expectancy and quality of life. A younger woman's hormones protect her from developing heart disease, but by about 55 years of age, female fatalities are about the same as men. In addition, a woman may lose 10 to 20 percent of her bone mass in the decade following menopause. This bone thinning, or osteoporosis, increases the risk of fractures.

The Women's Health Initiative Study concluded hormone replacement therapy (HRT) did relieve symptoms of menopause but it's long term use increases postmenopausal woman's risk of breast cancer, heart disease and blood clots. Combined estrogen-progestin therapy also seems to increase the risk of dementia after age 65. So it is now recommended that HRT be used in the lowest possible dose, and only when symptoms are severe enough to interfere with quality of life. For milder symptoms, women should adopt a healthy lifestyle and try dietary change, herbal remedies and exercise. Also, regular exercise may help minimize mood swings and hot flashes. At least 30 minutes of exercise four to five times a week is recommended.

A healthy diet can help ease the symptoms of menopause and reduce chronic-disease risk. Here are some helpful dietary strategies:

• Eat foods that reduce symptoms. Follow a diet high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. It will provide you with plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals, phytoestrogens and bio­fla­vo­noids. These are important for long-term health and to help minimize menopausal symptoms.
• Watch out for trigger foods. Some foods can worsen hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings. Common culprits are coffee, tea, chocolate, cola and alcohol.
• Include soy. Soy helps protect against heart disease, and it can also help ease hot flashes.

Long before hormone replacement therapy, women often sought relief for their menopausal complaints with herbal remedies. Some of the more popular ones — for which there is some evidence of efficacy — are listed below.

• Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). A number of studies have shown that black cohosh can alleviate many unpleasant symptoms of menopause, including irritability, poor concentration, insomnia and depression.
• St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). St. John's wort has been shown to be effective in the management of mild to moderate cases of depression. It has a long history of use in the treatment of the melancholy often associated with menopause.
• Red clover (Trifolium pratense). Red clover extract has recently been marketed for menopausal symptoms. There is indeed the presence of estrogenic compounds, but two double-blind studies found no difference between red clover and a placebo for treating menopausal symptoms. Still, many women claim that their symptoms are alleviated by red clover preparations.

The evidence, however, is not compelling and the amounts of these substances found in commercial preparations is not standardized, which makes it difficult to assess results.

Menopausal symptoms can upset the regular routine of many women but eating right and getting exercise can make the symptoms more controllable. So eat foods high in calcium and vitamin D, such as low-fat dairy products, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.