Moving Through Menopause with Nutrition

Menopause is when menstruation permanently ends. Menopause isn’t officially diagnosed until someone has gone a full 12 months without a period. Perimenopause occurs prior to menopause and is often signalled by the beginning of some symptoms associated with menopause including hot flashes, headaches, atrophic vaginitis, frequent UTIs, cold hands and feet, forgetfulness, and/or an inability to concentrate. It can be a highly unpleasant and uncomfortable time, often leading to feelings of lack of control over our bodies.

Why Does Menopause Happen?

When the ovaries no longer have viable eggs left, menopause occurs. At birth, women have close to 1 million eggs. This number drops over the course of our age, starting first at puberty when the number drops to 3-4 hundred thousand eggs. During reproductive years, approximately 400 will mature for potential fertilization. The average onset of menopause is 50, but ranges from 40-55 years old.

Menopause is mainly caused by the decrease or changes in female sex hormones. As eggs decrease, the number of active follicles, the cellular home for the egg, decreases and a reduction in the hormones estrogen and progesterone occurs. When the pituitary gland, the master hormone gland, detects this drop, it increases the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Both FSH and LH will continue to secrete through menopause even though no follicles will require stimulation, and they instead trigger the release of androgens (male sex hormones) from the ovaries and adrenal gland. These androgens can then be converted by fat cells into estrogens. Estrogen continues to be produced, however estrogen levels in postmenopausal women are significantly lower than women in their reproductive years.

As this transition occurs, the above mentioned symptoms can begin to appear. These symptoms can taper off and cease entirely once FSH and LH have taken over the production of estrogen.

How We Can Help Support Menopausal Symptoms Through Nutrition

The hypothalamus, a mass of tissue in the centre of the brain, controls many of our bodily functions, including regulating body temperature, metabolic rates, our sleep patterns, our stress levels, libido and mood. It is considered the bridge between our nervous and hormonal systems. In order for the hypothalamus to function properly, it requires the assistance of feel-good hormones, endorphins. Endorphins support our mood and regulate feelings of pain, and can be a vital component of reducing menopausal symptoms.

Some ways that we can work to manage menopausal symptoms is supplementing with foods that produce an increase in endorphins. Alternately you can choose to consume phytoestrogen-rich foods. Phytoestrogens are plant-derived substances that are capable of binding to estrogen receptor sites and mimicking endogenous estrogens. They take on estrogen-like effects in some tissues, while taking on antiestrogenic effects in others. Good sources of phytoestrogens include soybeans and flaxseeds.

Soy products in general can support the menopausal process by reducing the occurrence of hot flashes, slowing bone loss, as well as helping to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Soy has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and other female forms of cancer.

Flaxseed contains lignans which are known to have an estrogenic effect in the body. Once ingested they are modified by intestinal bacteria to form other lignans, creating greater estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity.

To otherwise supplement your diet for symptom reduction, include probiotics, fish oils and vitamin E rich foods.

The good bacteria found in our digestive system is responsible for converting soy into the phytoestrogen compound that mimics endogenously made estrogens. It is important then that we support the gut microbiome by eating probiotic rich foods, prebiotic rich fruits and vegetables to feed and grow the flora, or to supplement with a high quality probiotic.

Omega-3 fatty acid rich fish and fish oils are a great anti-inflammatory support, as well as using the healthy fats to contribute to hormone production. They are also a source of lignans!

Vitamin E is also a vital component of hormone production. It works with our sex hormones and supports oestrogenic, androgenic and progesterone activity, all of which help us towards a smoother transition into and through menopause!

A whole foods rich diet is the best place to start to reduce symptoms and improve overall well being. Fill your plate with 50% non-starchy vegetables, 25% protein, and 25% starchy vegetables or complex carbohydrates. A thumb-sized amount of healthy fats will keep you satiated longer and support your hormonal and cognitive functioning. Eating this way, at regular intervals, supports blood sugar balancing, hormonal balance, weight management, energy and mood. Eating well improves our abilities to manage stress, but not without also implementing stress reduction techniques! Hormones are intimately linked to stress levels and without attending to them also, our efforts nutritionally and otherwise are much less effective!

Want To Learn More?

If you want to learn more about how nutrition and integrative medicine can help support you during perimenopause and menopause, check out our info page on menopause here.

If you’re ready to start supporting your menopause through nutrition, you can book that in with our in-house nutritionist here.