Menopause Diet & What NOT To Eat
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What Changes Happen During Menopause?
During the transition to menopause and beyond, the hormone oestrogen begins to decline, disrupting your normal cyclical patterns of oestrogen and progesterone.
Declining oestrogen levels negatively impact your metabolism, potentially leading to weight gain. These changes may also affect your cholesterol levels and how your body digests carbs, which is why quality prebiotics and probiotics are so important.
But there is a big link between what you eat, and the severity of your symptoms.
Foods to Avoid
Avoiding certain foods may help reduce some of the symptoms linked to menopause, such as hot flushes, weight gain and poor sleep.Added Sugars and Processed Carbs
High blood sugar, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome have been linked to higher incidence of hot flushes in menopausal women.Processed foods and added sugars are known to raise blood sugar rapidly. The more processed a food is, the more pronounced its effect on blood sugar may be.
Therefore, limiting your intake of added sugars and processed foods, such as white bread, crackers and baked goods, may help reduce hot flushes during menopause.
US guidelines recommend keeping your added sugar intake to less than 10% of your daily calorie intake — so if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, less than 200 calories, or 50 grams, should come from added sugars.
Alcohol and Caffeine
Studies have shown that caffeine and alcohol can trigger hot flushes in women going through menopause.In one study in 196 menopausal women, caffeine and alcohol intake increased the severity of hot flushes but not their frequency.
On the other hand, another study associated caffeine intake with a lower incidence of hot flushes.
Therefore, it may be worth testing whether eliminating caffeine affects your hot flushes.
Another factor to consider is that caffeine and alcohol are known sleep disruptors and that many women going through menopause have trouble sleeping. So, if this is the case for you, consider avoiding caffeine or alcohol near bedtime.
Spicy Foods
Avoiding spicy foods is a common recommendation for women going through menopause. However, evidence to support this is limited.One study in 896 women going through menopause in Spain and South America examined the association between lifestyle factors and incidences of hot flushes and associated spicy food intake with an increase in hot flushes.
Another study in 717 perimenopausal women in India associated hot flushes with spicy food intake and anxiety levels. Researchers concluded that hot flushes were worse for women with overall poorer health.
As your reaction to spicy foods may be individual, use your best judgement when it comes to including spicy foods in your diet and avoid them if they seem to worsen your symptoms.
High-Salt Foods
High salt intake has been linked to lower bone density in postmenopausal women.In a study in over 9,500 postmenopausal women, sodium intake of more than 2 grams per day was linked to a 28% higher risk of low bone mineral density.
Additionally, after menopause, the decline in oestrogen increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Reducing your sodium intake may help lower this risk.
Furthermore, in a randomised study in 95 postmenopausal women, those who followed a moderate-sodium diet experienced better overall mood, compared to women who followed a generally healthy diet with no salt restriction.
In Short...
Avoiding processed carbs, added sugars, alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods and foods high in salt may improve symptoms of menopause.A whole-foods diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high-quality protein and dairy products may reduce menopause symptoms. Phytoestrogens and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish, may also help.
You may want to limit added sugars, processed carbs, alcohol, caffeine and high-sodium or spicy foods as well. These simple changes to your diet may make this important transition in your life easier.
