Thursday, February 12, 2009

Osteoporosis and Other Risks of Unhealthy Diets After Menopause

By Ricardo d Argence

There are a number of health risks that increase during menopause, and many of these risks are exacerbated by a poor diet.

As women approach menopause, the body begins to decrease its production of estrogen and progesterone. While we tend to think of these almost exclusively in terms of their roles as female reproductive hormones, these hormones also play an important role in bone health.

Reductions in estrogen amounts go hand in hand with a decrease in female bone density. This decline actually starts well before menopause, especially in women with inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D during the crucial young adult years of bone formation. Bone density is lost rapidly during menopause,making women more around seven times more likely than men to have bone fracture,and putting themselves to risking osteoporosis.

Throughout menopause, woman's ability to burn calories begin to reduce speed, particularly if she is not active. Digestion of food becomes sluggish, causing greater absorption of nutrients from food. The bad news is that the health of a woman during menopause will be more greatly impacted by bad fats, sugars, and processed foods.

The reduction in women's reproductive hormones along with alterations in digestive and metabolic function may produce increases in weight. In combination with these other changes, weight gain also puts menopausal women at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and related conditions. The helpful news is that consuming a balanced mealplan in menopause may help lower the odds of acquiring conditions of brittle bones and cardiovascular disease.

It is balance of the key to a healthful diet that can help stave off osteoporosis, weight gain, and associated health complications. Start by eating at least three nutritious meals each day. Eating more frequent, smaller meals is even better. Try not to concentrate excessively on calories; rather, you should focus on sensible portions and consuming foods loaded with nutrients and minimal calories. Some examples are leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and brightly colored red and yellow vegetables. To be sure that you get all the nutrients you need, it is wise to take a multi-vitamin every day.

Fiber helps move food through the digestive tract to combat a sluggish metabolism. This promotes digestive health, and helps curb excess weight gain. Whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables are nutritious foods that are high in fiber. In combination with a high-fiber diet, avoid fatty and fried foods. Limit overall fat intake to less than 30% of caloric intake.

You need certain types of fat if you want to stay healthy. Do include sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Some common food sources of omega 3 are salmon and other cold water fish, seeds, and nuts, especially walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids assist in minimizing swelling, and may reduce some annoying signs of menopause.

For managing common symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and irritability, try reducing or eliminating caffeine and spicy foods from your diet. Avoid excess sugar, especially corn syrup and other highly-processed foods.

Eating foods rich in plant phytoestrogens, such as beans and other legumes, apples, potatoes, and carrots can also help fight hot flashes. Also, drinking at least eight glasses of water each day can work for you. Soy also contains high levels of phytoestrogens, and there are many tasty flavored drinks, yogurts, and even frozen desserts, that contain soy.

Strive for this amount even if you're younger than age 50 that the recommended daily allowance for calcium for women over age 50 is 1200 mg. Be sure that your intake of calcium is adequate. Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, thus consuming reduced-fat dairy items with added vitamin D is a smart pick. To prevent osteoporosis, it is advisable to increase the calcium in your diet.

The risk of osteoporosis, weight gain, and other health problems can be significantly reduced through good nutrition during menopause. A healthy diet will also provide you with more energy, and can help you reduce or eliminate troublesome symptoms of menopause. - 15438

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