Flash Out the Hot Menopausal Flushes with Vegetables

The experience of menopause differs among women, depending on differences in diet and nutrition, general health and health care, and even how women are taught to think about menopause. Many women go through menstruation feeling fine, both physically and psychologically. Nonetheless, some women are bothered by symptoms, including hot flashes, depression, irritability, anxiety, vaginal dryness, night sweats, aches and other problems. As estrogen levels decline, the vaginal walls become less elastic and thinner. Vaginal secretions are reduced and are less acidic, increasing the chances for vaginal infections. Insufficient vaginal lubrication during sexual activity can make intercourse uncomfortable or painful. Some women report a decreased interest in sex and a decline in sexual activity with menopause that are not due to vaginal problems. Such symptoms become too serious if the woman is not well prepared or is completely ignorant about menstruation.

Regular consumption of diets high in fat and low in fibre is associated with increased levels of estrogen in women. Women with such diets are known to have measurably more estrogen activity than do those on low-fat diets. At menopause, those women who had been on high-fat diets experience a violent drop in estrogen levels. Therefore, the resulting symptoms are much severe. Excess alcohol, caffeine, or sugar may stress the adrenal glands and decrease the amount of adrenal androgens available for conversion to estrogen, thereby lowering estrogen and making menopausal symptoms worse. Smoking decreases estrogen production by the ovaries, leading to earlier menopause and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is common after menopause and it is due to abnormally rapid calcium loss, aggravated by animal protein, caffeine, tobacco, sodium (table salt) and sedentary life style. All these five factors are involved in severe calcium wasting.

Women undergoing menopause must eliminate all the calcium wasters if they are to maintain optimum levels of the mineral in their bodies. They should obtain their calcium from healthy sources such as greens and beans. Green leafy vegetables are loaded with calcium. The calcium in broccoli and most other green leafy vegetables is more absorbable than the calcium in milk. Although many people try to get their calcium from milk, only about 30 percent of calcium in dairy products is absorbed. The remaining 70 percent never makes it past the intestinal wall and is simply excreted with the feces. Calcium-fortified orange juice is a good choice incase additional calcium is required. It contains more calcium than milk, and it is in the form of calcium citrate, which is much more readily absorbed than that in milk or in calcium carbonate supplements.

Therefore, to overcome all the problems associated with menopause including poor vaginal lubrication, reduced sexual interest, depression, osteoporeosis among others calls for women to keep watch of their diets. Reduction or complete elimination of foods that deplete calcium from the bones, and increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits will reduce the severity of menopause. Women also need to get involved in physical activity in order to keep their bones active and to beat up the stress and depression common in menopause. However, younger women should endeavor to consume lots of calcium rich foods before they reach menopause since estrogen production ceases thereafter. Estrogen is required for calcium balance in the body and without it then calcium resorption from the bones becomes rapid. Thus, storage of adequate calcium prior to menopause will decrease severity of menopausal symptoms.