What women should eat to ease symptoms of menopause
Increasing protein intake to levels more typical of a weightlifter could help to alleviate hot flushes
MENOPAUSAL women should follow a protein-rich diet akin to a weightlifter’s to help ease hot flushes and reduce symptoms, a study has found.
Hot flushes and weight gain are often the first signs of menopause, but a healthy diet can alleviate discomfort.
A study from Semmelweis University in Hungary analysed 134 studies on the impact of diet on women going through menopause and found certain eating habits offset the changes caused by hormonal alterations from the process.
One of the recommendations was to consume 1-1.2g of protein per kilogram of body mass, a rule of thumb which has long been adopted by gym-goers to help them maintain and build muscle.
For a woman who weighs nine stone, for example, this would be 57 kilograms and therefore 57 grams of protein a day. The usual recommended amount is about 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day.
An egg contains about 13 grams of protein, a chicken breast about 31 grams and a portion of salmon is about 20 grams. The scientists say half of the protein should come from non-animal sources, such as soybeans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, or nuts.
They found that during menopause women are more at risk of health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer caused by a drop in oestrogen production.
The study, published in the journal
Nutrients, found weight gain and hot flushes are the first symptoms to emerge and women gain 6.8kg on average between the ages of 50 and 60.
The sex hormone oestrogen made by women is key in ovulation and menstruation, but it also plays a role in regulating metabolism and fat distribution which leads to weight gain in up to 70 per cent of menopausal women, the scientists say.
“With age, metabolism naturally slows down, the body burning fewer calories at rest,” said study author Dr Erzsébet Pálfi at Semmelweis University.
“The decline in oestrogen during menopause can further contribute to a decrease in metabolic rate, making it easier to gain weight.”
A healthy diet to offset the hormonal shift is key, she said, but so is ensuring a calorie deficit to prevent weight gain.
“The recommended weight loss rate is about 0.5-1kg/week, primarily from fat while preserving muscle mass.
“This typically translates to reducing daily calorie intake by 15-30 per cent and consuming around 25 kcal/kg of body weight per day.”
Losing five kilograms of body weight can make hot flushes 30 per cent more bearable, data show.
Eating plenty of protein is a good way to preserve muscle mass while also allowing a person to eat the right amount of calories to lose weight.
Other recommendations from the study include eating five fruit and veg a day, drinking plenty of water, having one meat-free meal a week, drinking half a litre of milk a day, and no more than 500 grams of red meat a week.
The study also found women should aim for at least seven hours of sleep during menopause to reduce the risk of health conditions.
Foods high in tryptophan, a chemical which becomes melatonin, which helps sleep, are recommended, such as cherries, cheese, fish and sesame seeds.
The scientists say women should have dinner at least two hours before bedtime and avoid drinking too much water at this time as it can lead to disturbed sleep.
“Regular exercise also supports metabolic health and can lessen the severity of hot flushes,” added Alíz Erdélyi, study author from Semmelweis and secretary general of the Hungarian Dietetic Association. “During the transformational years of the menopause, several changes can occur – of which weight gain and hot flushes might be the most apparent ones, but they can bring more risks if not kept under control.”