Nutrition News: The Changing Times of Menopause

By Monika Klein

Menopause isn’t what it used to be. In fact, I often hear that most of our mothers never had symptoms during menopause, or maybe they never discussed it. Perhaps they were unaware that insomnia, mood swings, weight gain, and hot flashes were actually symptoms of the hormonal changes of menopause. Times have changed—women of today are much more informed and aware of even the slightest change in the way they feel. With baby boomers coming into this time of transition in record numbers, menopause is a BIG topic.

I used to work in a clinic where we would only see women going through peri-menopause or menopause. Technically, menopause is a pause in women’s monthly cycle. Specifically, a woman has hit menopause when she has ceased having her periods for 12 consecutive months. The average age for menopause is 51. If a woman stops having her periods before 40, she may be suffering from something more serious than normal period cessation. During perimenopause, a woman starts to experience shorter periods and typically, this is the only “menopausal” symptom she is experiencing. As a woman gets closer to menopause, the rest of the symptoms may start appearing.

The Hormones
The key players in menopause are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and DHEA. Hormones come from cholesterol and cholesterol comes from fat. It is important to be careful what type of fats you consume, but fat is something you must have in your diet on a daily basis, as it is necessary for good hormone function.

Educating Women
Physical and mental support during this period of adjustment is essential. Diet, exercise, nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle are all important areas of focus to prevent symptoms. Again the women of today want answers and they want to have a gentle transition if possible.

The Symptoms
1) Bone Loss/Osteoporosis. When bones lose estrogen, there is an increased risk of osteoporosis.

2) Flashes and Night Sweats. The determining factor with this symptom may include stress levels, genetics, and nutrition. Hot flashes are more prevalent in Western cultures, and they have a lot to do with our lifestyle. Approximately 85 percent of the female population experience hot flashes.

3) Depression. This happens mainly because our hormones—especially estrogen—fluctuate during menopause. For perimenopausal women, it’s a decrease in progesterone levels that causes their depression symptoms.

4) Anxiety, Anger, and Irritability. These symptoms and other emotional swings and mood changes may be caused by changes in hormones, including serotonin.

5) Weight Gain. Women report that even while maintaining their eating and exercise habits, they still put on a few pounds, especially around the middle.

6) Memory Loss and Brain Fog. Many women report lack of clarity and focus during this time, again often due to hormonal fluctuations.

Important Routine Tests
1) Regular blood tests, including hormone checks
2) Digital breast exams – the least invasive breast exams
3) Adrenal Function Tests – to help determine if your body is under stress
4) Neurotransmitter – to help determine the balance of your brain chemicals

Important Menopause Supplements
1) Multiple Vitamins – a good balanced multiple vitamin provides insurance that you get all the important nutrients you need on a daily basis.
2) Calcium – 1,200 mg per day is usually the recommended dosage. I recommend it in the form of microcrystalline hydroxyl apatite—which is the most absorbable form.
3) Essential Fatty Acids (good fats) – Fish oil provides the best source of Omega 3s, providing necessary amounts of EPA and DHA.
4) Vitamin D – good for both bone and heart health.
5) Black Cohosh – natural treatment for menopausal hot flashes. It is not a phytoestrogen, so it is not contraindicated for women with breast cancer.
6) Resveratrol – a wonderful antioxidant which decreases night sweats and hot flashes.
7) Vitex or Chastetree Berry –really great for early stage perimenopause when periods start becoming irregular—helps to regulate the cycle.
8) St. Johns’s Wort – good for irritability, anxiety.
9) Valerian Root – natural sleep aid.
10) 5 HTP – can help insomnia as well as anxiety associated with menopause.
11) Melatonin – also a great sleep aid.
12) Vitamin E – helps to enhance heart health in menopausal and postmenopausal women.

The Soy Dilemma
Soy is often used to reduce hot flashes. The isoflavones found in soy are phytoestrogens or estrogen-like compounds. Soy helps to reduce hot flashes by 50 percent; however, 65 percent of the population can’t convert the soy into its estrogen-like active ingredient.

Soy protein and isoflavones are also known to have a negative effect on thyroid function and may contribute to various autoimmune conditions. So we need to ask, is it worth the benefit to use it? Cultures which have done well with soy do not eat or drink soy powder. Most soy in our marketplace is genetically modified, creating even more problems. A good rule of thumb is to use soy as a condiment and make sure to use a fermented soy product.

Other Promising Supplements
Pomegranate and resveratrol (which is found in grapes and red wine), are being touted as promising phytoestrogens. Resveratrol is considered a wonderful antioxidant, and it has been shown to provide help with night sweats and hot flashes. It also helps Vitamin D work better in the body to improve bone health.

Good Daily Dietary Hints
1) Good fats – take your fish oil supplements but always add good oils to your food as well – olive, walnut, or flaxseed oils for example.
2) Increased fiber – very important for digestion and healthy arteries.
3) Whole food – choose foods that are as close to those found in nature as possible.
4) Protein – very important for women. We usually don’t get enough protein on a daily basis. On average a woman should consume 10 to 12 ounces per day.
5) Choose the Paleolithic (caveman or cavewoman in this case) or Mediterranean Diet. This type of diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy protein, good fats, and minimal, if any, grains or processed foods. Grains are a very recent phenomenon and require some amount of processing for us to consume, so limit their use if you can.
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Monika Klein has a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition and has continued with postgraduate education in nutritional science, homeopathy, herbology, Ayurvedic medicine, and kinesiology. She is the former Southern California education chair for the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists and has hosted a Los Angeles–based television show, Total Health Talk, for over 12 years. Her office is located at 32123 Ventura Blvd, Suite 210, in Woodland Hills. Visit http://www.coachingforhealth.com for more information.