Perimenopause / Menopause and Plant-Based Dieting

Facts

Why is it so important to look after our hormones in our late 30s onwards? First, because most women enter a so-called perimenopause era that can start in their late 30s but mostly in their 40s. The perimenopause is when a woman’s ovaries gradually begin to produce less oestrogen. For some women and on average perimenopause lasts for four years, for the lucky ones only a few months but others will experience it for a decade up until the actual menopause begins, when the ovaries stop releasing eggs and women stop menstruating (average age 51 in the UK). Overall, the hormonal changes involve fluctuations and a decline of the sex hormones progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone.

How can plant-based diet support this hormonal change?

Animal fats, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, chocolate, processed food and sugar or any refined carbohydrates like white bread, cakes, pasta jam, sugary drinks produce insulin in our body and disrupts our hormone balance naturally. When these foods are digested the glucose from them enter our bloodstream and insulin is released to get the glucose out of the blood and into our cells. Junk food causes insulin levels to rise, which can also trigger increase in testosterone levels. This would mean the disruption of oestrogen and progesterone (fat-like, steroid hormones) production too. Higher insulin levels cause hot flushes by causing the blood vessels to dilate. This is the crucial reason behind implementing a plant-based / vegan diet – less fat and more fiber - in women’s lifestyle, especially in their 40s. Eating less refined carbs and sugar, eat more wholegrains, nuts and seeds, essential fats, fresh fruit and vegetables can really have a positive impact on menopause and PMT. Because those symptoms as many of us know it aren’t fun to have around such as depression, anxiety, poor memory and concentration, fatigue, insomnia, body stiffness, weight gain and hot flushes.

Another perfect reason to follow a vegan diet is to retain healthy bones as the declining oestrogen’s task is making cells to form bones. Red and white meats and dairy produce acid in our blood when digested and it needs to be neutralised by calcium from our bones. Again, a varied wholegrain vegan diet can really support bone health.

Post-menopausal women tend to have higher rates of heart diseases, partly due to the lack of oestrogen. A vegan diet helps to reduce the build-up of plaques in the coronary arteries. Bad cholesterol is produced in the liver as a result of a heavy diet, eating animal fats, thus vegan diet supplies antioxidants to release plaques instead of creating cholesterol.

Asian women vs. Western women

Another study (read in details: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/a-natural-approach-to-menopause) suggests that menopause is easier for Asian women than for Western women, because Asian culture follows a plant-based food culture traditionally. 10 percent of women in China, 17.6 percent of women in Singapore, and 22.1 percent of women in Japan were only reported having hot flashes. Women on high-fat diets will have a dramatic drop in oestrogen levels at menopause as the ovaries’ oestrogen production stops. Asian women have lower levels of oestrogen before and after menopause, these resulting symptoms are much milder or even non-existent.

Fighting stress

Lowering stress levels are also part of the whole ‘let’s get through this era’. A nutritional therapist Natalie Savona explains that under stress our bodies produce a high amount of cortisol that can deeply affect our hormones. For instance, she adds under stress sex drive can diminish because the body isn’t producing enough testosterone, which controls sex drive hormones in men and women. The adrenal glands won’t be able to produce oestrogen during a peri- or post-menopause, which will worsen the symptoms such as tiredness, less ability to cope with stress. Thus, unhealthy diet during this period does not support any of the above-mentioned hormones. These hormones need to be controlled, rebalanced to function in the harder times of perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

What can aid perimenopause and menopause effectively?

• Complex carbohydrates produce sustained energy, lowers cholesterol, removes toxins and waste. These are wholegrains such as brown rice, quinoa, brown bread and pasta, and vegetables, legumes such as black beans, chickpeas and lentils, nuts and seeds.

• Healthy fats like omega 3, maintaining hormone function, reduce inflammation, improve skin and joint health as well as brain function. These foods are: nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil, and oily fish such as salmon or mackerel.

• Quality protein is essential to make hormones, building muscle, bones, cartilage, skin and blood, which can help balance blood sugar levels. Quality protein comes from meat or fish, nuts and seeds, dairy and legumes. See our previous blog on a meatless protein list if you are vegan: https://www.vegissimo.co.uk/post/what-are-the-best-meatless-protein-sources-from-a-plant-based-diet

• Increase your intake of phyto-oestrogens, which is increasing the total oestrogenic effect to keep hormones in balance, by eating more: soya milk and soya flour, linseeds, tofu, tempeh and miso, pumpkins seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb and green beans.

• Hydrate well and regularly as it can affect mood, concentration, skin and digestion.

• Eating regular and smaller portions of meals, stabilises blood sugar and energy levels, boost metabolism and prevent hunger. Cutting back the calories at least 200 / day.

• Implement different coloured vegetables in your diet, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts and kale that are supporting oestrogen balance and reduce inflammation.

• Vitamins: Vitamin D and Calcium for bone health, anxiety and stress. Iron for bone and energy boost. Magnesium and boron for stress, anxiety and good night sleep. B vitamins for stress, energy boost, mood and cognitive function. Vitamin C, strengthens the immune system, vital for the production of collagen (women lose 30% of collagen in the first 5 years of menopause), controls histamine levels. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant as well, reduces depression and even hot flushes. And zinc supporting the immune system and the production of sex hormones (testosterone). (Check out: https://drvegan.com/blogs/articles/nutrition-for-the-menopause link for examples of essential vitamin resources from fruits and vegetables.)

• Regular exercises: aerobic, strength training, yoga, walking, cycling, swimming and meditation.

Don’t need to change your diet into a complete plant-based diet, just make sure you add more vegetables into your meals on daily basis.

Read on for more details via the links in the sources section.

#menopause #perimenopause #plantbaseddiet #womenshealth #hormonechange #vegandiet #postmenopause #controlstress #nutritions #balancemenopause #behappier #supportingwomen #health #healthbalance

Sources:

Menopause madness! Are you a hostage to hormones? What are the solutions? [Juliet Gellatley, 01 June 2021] https://viva.org.uk/health/menopause-madness-are-you-a-hostage-to-hormones-what-are-the-solutions-by-juliet-gellatley/

Nutrition for the menopause {DR VEGAN, Dr. Katie Hodgkinson – GP] https://drvegan.com/blogs/articles/nutrition-for-the-menopause

Relieve Menopause Symptoms with a Plant-Based Diet [Fresh n Lean, Cara Usher, 5 January 2018] https://www.freshnlean.com/blog/relieve-menopause-symptoms-with-a-plant-based-diet/

Eat to ease the menopause [BBC Good Food, Kerry Torrens - Nutritionist, 8 August 2018] https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eat-beat-menopause

Getting Started on a Plant-Based Diet in Midlife [Lisa Health, Caitlin Beale - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist] https://blog.lisahealth.com/blog/2020/1/24/getting-started-on-a-plant-based-diet-in-midlife

A Natural Approach to Menopause [Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine] https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/a-natural-approach-to-menopause