Menopause Diet: Foods to Eat & Foods to Avoid

During menopause, it is essential to eat calcium and protein-rich foods to combat your symptoms.

Menopause is a natural process in women when menstruation ceases for 12 months. It causes a gradual decline in the female reproductive hormones, which may be linked to multiple unpleasant symptoms and an increase in the risk of certain diseases. 

Symptoms of menopause include:

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness
• Sleep disturbances
• Anxiety
• Depression

Dietary changes may ease the transition and reduce the symptoms.

It is essential to follow a proper diet throughout life. However, during menopause, some extra care is required because the decreased levels of reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone may lead to changes in metabolism and decreased bone mineral density, which may result in arthritis in women.

Therefore, it is essential to add calcium and protein-rich foods, vegetables, and fruits to the diet that may help women to get relief from menopausal symptoms.

To ease symptoms, a few dietary and lifestyle changes are required.

Doctors advise consuming the following foods during menopause:

1. Calcium-rich foods: Bone loss is mainly seen during menopause. It may lead to osteoporosis due to the decreased estrogen level during menopause. Therefore, it is essential to eat calcium-rich foods such as two to three glasses of milk daily and other dairy products rich in calcium. Fish such as sardine and salmon are rich in calcium. It is essential to consume 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium daily.
   • Dairy products that are rich in calcium include:
     • Cow’s milk
     • Soy milk
     • Yogurt
     • Low-fat cheese
2. Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables help manage weight. Calcium-rich nutrients in green leafy vegetables help maintain bone density. Therefore, add at least two cups of vegetables to your diet. Veggies such as spinach, collard greens, and turnips are rich in calcium.
   • Other vegetables that are rich in calcium include:
     • Kale
     • Broccoli
     • Asparagus
     • Cauliflower
     • Brussel sprouts
     • Sage
3. Lean protein: To get some relief from menopausal symptoms, taking an adequate amount of proteins in your diet is essential. Protein is abundant in lean meats. In addition, the protein content helps maintain weight and build mass.
   • The following foods are rich in lean proteins:
     • Tuna
     • Tofu
     • Grilled chicken
     • Lean beef
     • Beans
     • Lentils
     • Turkey
   • Sometimes, you can add red meat to your diet but be careful with the cholesterol portion in red meat.
4. Soy products: Soy products are good sources of phytoestrogen that are similar to estrogen, which helps reduce menopausal symptoms. However, not all soy-based products have the enzyme that converts phytoestrogens to estrogens. Therefore, soy products may trigger hot flashes and night sweats in some women.
   • Some of the soy-based products include:
     • Tofu
     • Soybeans
     • Soy flour
     • Soy milk
5. Iron-containing foods: Daily recommended dietary allowance of iron in menopausal women is 8 mg per day. Therefore, at least three servings of iron-rich foods are mandatory per day.
   • Rich sources of iron include:
     • Red meat
     • Chicken
     • Fish
     • Green leafy vegetables
     • Nuts
     • Whole grains
6. Fiber-containing foods: Most older people require at least 21 grams of fiber in their daily diet.
   • Fiber is rich in foods such as:
     • Whole grains
     • Rice
     • Bread
     • Pasta
     • Cereals
     • Fresh fruits
     • Vegetables
7. Water: All older adults follow the general rule of drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water daily. This rule of eight glasses of water per day meets all the nutritional requirements of older adults.

Some foods may worsen menopausal symptoms, so they must be avoided, such as:

• Processed foods: Avoid all processed foods such as chips and cookies. They may be tasty, but sodium and added sugar retain water and make you feel bloated. Try to find healthy alternative options to control yourself from these cravings.
• Spicy foods: Try to avoid all spicy foods. Research suggests that the spiciness in spicy foods may trigger hot flashes, excessive sweating, and flushing in menopausal women.
• Junk foods: Junk foods have to be avoided. They may increase the risk of heart disease, as menopausal women are already at a high risk of heart disease. These unhealthy foods may trigger the condition. In addition, these unhealthy foods are a high source of fats, resulting in weight gain and a risk of menopausal symptoms.
• Alcohol and caffeine: The recommended amount of alcohol in older women is one glass a day or less. However, few studies have reported that women drinking more than five glasses of alcohol daily have an increased risk of breast cancer. Moreover, an excess intake of alcohol in women may trigger menopausal symptoms. Caffeine may increase the risk of hot flashes. The risk of hot flashes is more in women who take caffeinated drinks than in those who do not. If you are craving hot caffeinated drinks, try alternatives such as green tea, peppermint tea, and caffeine-free beverages.

Some women who are sensitive to lactose may not be able to add the recommended amount of dietary products to their diet. In such cases, supplements such as calcium pills are recommended. Some women report an improvement in hot flashes with the intake of sage leave supplements.

Moreover, it is essential to add vitamin D pills because vitamin D helps increase calcium absorption and maintain healthy bones.

However, it is always essential to take advice from your physician before taking any supplements.

Menopause is the biological process that usually occurs in women from 45 to 50 years of age. However, this may sometimes occur later or earlier. Menopause is confirmed only after a complete cessation of periods for 12 months. 

During menopause, the ovaries stop producing eggs, resulting in the decreased production of estrogen and progesterone, which may alter the metabolism and cause menopausal symptoms such as:

• Hot flashes: Hot flashes are the most common and early symptom of menopause. About 75 percent of women have a sudden increase in body temperature. These hot flashes start one year before menopause and last for two years after menopause. The severity of hot flashes may vary for each woman. In addition to increased body temperatures, there may be an increased heart rate that results in palpitations. Hot flashes in women during the night are called night sweats—they experience severe sweating that may cause sleep disturbances.
• Vaginal atrophy: Vaginal atrophy occurs commonly in women during menopause. During menopause, vaginal dryness and thinning of the vaginal lining will lead to vaginitis and urinary tract infections. In addition, vaginal dryness may cause painful sex and vaginal bruising.
• Relaxed pelvic muscles: The relaxed pelvic muscles during menopause may lead to urinary incontinence in women. This may also increase the risk of uterus or bladder prolapse.