Menopause is the cessation of menstruation in women, and on an average it occurs around the age of 50. Menopause occurs when there are no active eggs left in the ovaries due to the process of natural aging or due to chemotherapy or surgery. Menopause is indicative of end of the reproductive life of a female.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?
With a reduction in the number of ovarian follicles, there occurs a drop in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Also, an increase in the secretion of the follicle stimulating hormone and the leutinizing hormone occurs.
The commonest complaints during the peri-menopause period and during menopause are headaches, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, irritability, depression, mood swings, frequent urinary tract infections, osteoporosis, cold hands and feet and forgetfulness.
Effective Management of the Symptoms of Menopause
While handling menopause, the key dietary recommendations are increasing the intake of plant foods and lowering the consumption of animal foods.
Additionally, experts advocate regular exercise. Exercise and working out helps halt the onslaught of aging and releases "feel good hormones" that boost mood and fight menopause-related depression successfully.
The following dietary prescriptions will be of immense help to manage menopause:
- Phyto-estrogens: Menopausal women may want to step up the intake of foods which are rich in phyto-estrogens. Phyto-estrogens are plant compounds that have the ability to bind to estrogen receptors in various cells of the body and can replace some of the effects of the hormone estrogen, which is now no longer being synthesized. Foods that supply the body with a liberal dose of phyto-estrogens are soy beans, soy foods (miso, tofu), nuts, flax seeds, apples, celery, alfalfa, fennel and parsley. Increasing the daily intake of these foods is recommended. Phtyo-estrogens are particularly useful in diminishing hot flashes and checking menopause associated osteoporosis. What’s more, phyto-estrogens have the potential to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.
- Cruciferous vegetables: Vegetable such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and mustard greens provide loads of powerful anti-oxidants. They are good food choices for women going through menopause. They not only maintain overall health and ward off cancer, but they also support optimum bone health and cardio-vascular well being.
- Cimicifuga: A herb that grows well in North America, cimicifuga is very effective in the management of menopausal symptoms. Innumerable clinical studies using the herb have verified that cimicifuga can reduce the number of hot flashes felt in a day and it also has a favorable effect on the vaginal lining.
Hot flushes, headaches and mood swings are the most common complaints experienced by menopausal women and can be easily tackled by incorporating certain foods in the daily diet, exercising and through healthy living, without the need to depend on hormone replacement therapy, which is associated with some risks.
Reference:
Obstet Gynecol, A Review of the Clinical Effects of Phyto-estrogens, Knight, D. C., Eden.J. A., 1996
Shweta Shah - A practicing homeopath using aromatherapy, yoga, acupressure and diet in patient management
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