Dietary Needs of Menopausal Women

Asking women and their doctors what they should prioritise in menopause produces a shortlist:

Energy
Bones
Hormones
Heart health.

The suggested daily requirements for women change according to age and hormone status. As oestrogen levels diminish in the female body after menopause, bone density may lessen. Some researchers recommend increasing calcium intake at this time, but this doesn't increase the rate at which this mineral is deposited in the bones. American and Canadian dieticians recommend much higher calcium intakes than their British counterparts because the protein intake in these countries is generally higher, and this promotes the excretion of calcium from the body.

Calcium: Daily requirement 500g

Maximising calcium absorption

Combine with phosphorus (in peanuts, meat, cheese, onions, garlic, chocolate, carob)
Have drinks and sauces containing orange, tomato etc. with meals
Take vitamin D in fish oil, lentils
Have digestive herbs in meals and drinks
Avoid tea with meals
Avoid high protein slimming diets.

B Vitamins

These are necessary for every process in the body, including nerve transmission and protein building, as they are part of the process which turns sugar into fuel which every cell in the body needs to carry on its work. This affects nerve transmission, building structures such as muscle and bone, as well as making new 'fabrics' such as skin and mucus membranes. It is worth looking at these vitamins for energy and health, especially as some researchers think many people are deficient in them.

Thiamin: Vitamin B1, daily requirement 1.5mg.

Tea contains a small amount of thiamin, 1 cup is equivalent to a slice of wholemeal bread, but because of the quantities drunk in Britain it is a significant contributor to our thiamin intake.

Riboflavin: Vitamin B2, daily requirement 1.2mg.

Tea also contains a small amount of riboflavin, because of the amount we drink, this may be a significant contributor to our daily need.

Niacin: Vitamin B 3, daily requirement 13g.

Tea also contains good amounts of niacin, and can make an important contribition to our daily need. Niacin can be made in the body from tryptophan, which is present in cheese, fish, eggs and meat, with small amounts in bread, potatoes, brown rice and wheatgerm.

Folacin: Vitamin B 4, daily requirement 165 µg.

Dandelion leaf contains the same amount per 100g as wheatgerm.

Pyridoxine: Vitamin B 6, daily requirement .2mg.

Carob flour is reported to have very large amounts of B6 but the data is not confirmed.

Biotin and Pantothenic acid

These are also B vitamins, but they are not normally included in detailed tables because they occur in almost all foods and deficiencies are unknown.

Cobalamine: Vitamin B 12 , daily requirement 2-3µg.

The trace of vitamin B 12 in food is so small that no detailed figures are available. It was once thought that you could only obtain this essential vitamin from animal foods, but recent research shows it to be present in pulses, such as mung beans, peas, alfalfa and soya beans. Comfrey leaf and whole wheat are also thought to provide useful amounts, though Comfrey is usually taken in short courses of eight weeks, with breaks between, as its alkaloids can accumulate in the liver. Consult a medical herbalist for more information on this.

How do you ensure the right amount of B vitamins in your diet?

You should eat enough from each group to supply your daily requirement. B vitamins are water soluble so you should use the minimum water to cook your foods, and keep the water to make sauce or gravy. The figures presented here give fairly large portions for meat and small for nuts or vegetables. This is based on general eating habits as represented in statistics. You can do the reverse, vegetarians and vegans would do this anyway. You must always aim to take a balance of B vitamins, as excesses or deficiencies in one can disturb the effect of the others.

Food for Heart and Blood Circulation

Vitamin C, bioflavonoids and iron

These are needed to protect blood vessels and maintain healthy red blood cells. Many women have fibroids and extra-heavy periods in the peri-menopause, so iron deficiencies can be common, causing fatigue and even a feeling of depression. The main sources of vitamin C (which is usually accompanied by bioflavonoids) are dark green vegetables and citrus fruits. Many flavonoids are diuretic (promote elimination of water). Women who eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables tend to suffer less from water retention and high blood pressure.

Plant Hormones in Food

There is another group of nutrients which has been receiving a great deal of attention recently. These are called phytosterols (plant hormones), which includes phyto-oestrogens. They are found not only in medicinal herbs but also in common foods.

How do plant hormones work?

Some plant hormones are similar in structure to human hormones, so can act in the same way. Willow , hops, dates, pomegranate, green beans and liquorice all have phytosterols, some oestrogenic, some adrenergic. Some plants contain chemicals which can be converted into hormones in the body. Some of these are called isoflavones, which have become popular in supplement pills. Both these and coumestans, another group of hormonal precursors, are found in legumes - alfalfa, peas, clover, beans, lentils, soya and liquorice. Some herbs, such as False Unicorn Root and Wild Yam, contain diosgenin, a direct source of oestradiol (a human hormone) in commerce.

The Benefits of Vegetable Oils

Plant oils also provide building blocks for human hormones, but they have another important role in making the walls of secretory cells (such as in the ovary or uterus) work properly. All body cell walls have essential fatty acids in their structure. Animal fats can't be used for this purpose. Cell walls have to remain intact when required (to protect against leaky blood vessels) but also allow chemicals such as hormones in and out. Most women benefit from favouring plant oils over animal fats in their diet, as they help to reduce sticky cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. You could aim at the equivalent of a teaspoon (minimum) of sunflower, olive or other seed oil per day. 'Wild' meats such as grouse, boar and goat contain more of the essential fatty acids than factory farmed meats such as beef, chicken and pork.