With all of the news about nutrition for women in menopause, it can become confusing to know where the truth lies. From experts to scientific studies, each seems to conflict with the next. But there are some popular ideas in nutrition for women in menopause that you do need to consider – both for the positive effects and the possible negative effects.
When Nutrition Goes Bad
For many women, busy lifestyles cause them to make poor choices in their diets. This is the most challenging aspect of nutrition for women in menopause as this is simply the outcome of women doing well in their professional lives, but then forgetting to take care of their bodies.
To help fill in the gaps of your diet, you might want to consider a multivitamin supplement to ensure you get the right nutrition each day. This should include plenty of calcium, vitamins, minerals, and iron, if your doctor agrees. Talk with your doctor about the various brands they recommend and then start taking this daily.
Do You Need to Use Herbs?
When you first hear about nutrition for women in menopause, you might think about ways to prevent the purported symptoms of menopause itself. Some people will recommend herbal remedies like Black Cohosh and Evening Primrose, but are they really safe or even effective?
Studies on these supplements are confusing. While some women report that their symptoms are dramatically reduced, others find that they don’t have any changes at all.
There is also some concern that these supplements can interfere with other medications you may be taking, so be sure to talk with your doctor before beginning an herbal regimen.
What About Soy Products?
Most discussions about nutrition for women in menopause will also include some mention of soy products and their healthy benefits for the heart – but this doesn’t seem to be true. True, some studies have indicated that soy can help prevent heart disease, but others studies are hinting that there many be more important effects.
Since soy seems to be similar in composition to the hormone estrogen, there is reason to believe that taking in too many soy products can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. If you have a genetic background of breast cancer, you might want to avoid soy as much as you can.
Though nutrition for women in menopause can be frustrating, the best advice is to choose healthy, low fat foods, and to avoid alcohol. After that, keeping a positive outlook on life is the best advice.
