Nutrition for Menopause Symptom Relief

Whether you are in perimenopause or menopause, there is good news about nutrition strategies shown to be helpful for symptom relief.  As noted in my article, Understanding Perimenopause and Menopause, both perimenopause and menopause are the times in a woman’s life when periods become irregular and eventually cease.  This marks the transition away from our childbearing years.    

Perimenopause typically starts in a woman’s 40s and ends by her mid-50s.  Once she has gone a full year without menstruating, she is in Menopause.  Along the way, she can experience symptoms ranging from vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, low libido, tender breasts, tummy weight gain, hot or cold flashes, night sweats, urinary urgency, and emotional changes. Yikes!

As a result, it is helpful to know what foods might support you in minimizing symptoms during this time.  Below are some foods that you might want to consider if you are starting to experience some symptoms.

Nutrition for Menopause Symptom Relief:

Foods to Consider Eating More Often

Fiber

The first food to consider eating more often is Fiber. Fiber has been shown to help our bodies rid its self of toxins which can cause bloating.² Both soluble and insoluble fiber support digestion, but soluble fiber can also reduce belly fat.¹  As noted in the table below, food with both soluble and insoluble foods include beans, legumes, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables.  See below for some of the higher sources.  The current recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 and 38 grams for women and men, respectively.³

No.	Food	Serving	Fiber in grams4	Soluble Fiber Grams
1	Black Beans	1 cup	15	6.75
2	Pinto Beans	1 cup	14.7	2.8
3	Lima Beans	1 cup	13.2	6.6
4	Avocado	1 med.	10	2
5	Whole Wheat Spaghetti	1 cup	6.3	2
6	Oats (cooked)	1 cup	8	1.9
7	Pears (w/ skin)	1 med.	5.5	1.5
8	Turnips	1 cup	5	2.5
9	Apple (w/ skin)	1 med.	4.4	1
10	Sweet Potato (w/ skin)	1 med.	4.4	2.2

Soy

As second food to consider eating more often is Soy.  Soy foods contain phytoestrogens which are believed to be supportive as a woman’s estrogen declines. Although phytoestrogens are different from animal based estrogens, they are able to bind to the same receptors in our cells. This is believed to be why they help with estrogen depletion symptoms without causing the downside risk of mammal based estrogen. As a result, soy has been shown to be helpful for hot flashes⁵ as well as being associated with lower cancer risk for certain cancers.⁶  Some good soy-based foods to consider are Tofu, Tempeh (fermented soybeans), whole soybeans (edamame), and soy milk. 

Water

A third food to consider consuming more of is Water. ⁷ Hormonal fluctuations in menopause reduce our body’s ability to sense it’s fluid levels, which can lead to dehydration.⁶  Plus because estrogen helps our tissues retain fluids, as we age and estrogen levels fall, our bodies are less able to hold water. Even mild dehydration has been shown to cause a host of problems including dry skin, hair and nails, constipation, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, headaches and even brain shrinkage. It is also thought to worsen urinary incontinence. Actively hydrate to reduce the chance of having these symptoms. Water is the best for rehydrating, but eating high water content fruits and vegetables also counts. Plan for about 60-75 ounces per day for women weighing 120-150 pounds.  An easy way to remember this is to divide your weight in half.⁸   

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Finally, consider eating more Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which are found in foods like ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, salmon and walnuts. They were studied and shown to reduce the incidence of hot flashes and night sweats.⁹

Nutrition for Menopause Symptom Relief:

Foods to Consider Reducing or Avoiding

Refined Sugar

The first food to consider reducing or avoiding is refined sugar. Refined sugars are found in most processed foods like baked goods, candy, white bread, crackers, most cereals, and condiments like ketchup and barbeque sauces. Some food producers try to hide it by referring to it by other names like sucrose, dextrose, maltose, and high fructose corn syrup. As discussed in previous articles, refined sugars raise our blood sugar levels quickly and cause spikes and drops in our insulin levels which leads to fat storage and cravings. Current dietary guidelines recommend that we keep our added sugars to less than 200 calories per day on a 2,000-calorie diet.¹¹  

Caffeine

A second food to consider reducing or avoiding is Caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to trigger hot flashes in menopausal women¹² although other studies show a reduction in frequency. Therefore, until more is known it might be worth experimenting with your caffeine intake to see if it affects the severity or frequency of your hot flashes.  Because caffeine can affect sleep, and menopause is known to also result in disrupted sleep, it might be worth reducing or avoiding for better sleep.

Alcohol

A third food to consider reducing or avoiding is Alcohol. Studies so far have yet to provide conclusive results about whether or not alcohol increases hot flashes; however, studies have shown that excess alcohol usage (defined as > 7 glasses per week or >3 glasses per day) does increase risk of aged related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, bone loss, organ damage, medication interactions and sleep disruption. Hence it is probably a good idea to moderate your alcohol consumption.¹³

Spicy Foods

A fourth food to consider watching to see how it impacts you is spicy foods. Studies are mixed on spicy foods and the frequency or severity of hot flashes. Test this one out to see if you are sensitive to spicier foods. If so you might want to cut back and see if your symptoms improve.

Salt

Lastly, consider reducing your salt intake especially if you have high blood pressure. Salt has been shown to increase blood pressure, which also tends to increase after menopause.  Therefore reduce your sodium intake if you have elevated blood pressure. Also, in a study of 9,526 women, sodium consumption of >2 grams per day was associated with a 28% higher risk of low bone density.¹⁴ Lastly, women who followed a moderate-sodium diet in menopause reported better mood.¹⁵

Conclusion

As you enter our perimenopause and menopause years, you may experience symptoms as a result of hormonal changes. There are several nutrition strategies that may help reduce or eliminate symptoms that are typical during this time of life. Consider eating more fiber, soy and water and water containing foods and think about reducing or avoiding foods that might exacerbate or trigger your symptoms like caffeine, alcohol, salt and spicy foods.

Sources:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fiber-and-belly-fat#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/_docs/medical_services/clinical_nutrition/high_fiber_diet.pdf
3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-soluble-fiber
4. https://www.med.umich.edu/mott/pdf/mott-fiber-chart.pdf
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5971175/
6. https://www.dana-farber.org/for-patients-and-families/care-and-treatment/support-services-and-amenities/nutrition-services/faqs/soy-and-cancer/#:~:text=Eating%20soy%20foods%20like%20tofu,estrogen%2Dreceptor%20positive%20breast%20cancer.
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3984489/
8. https://www.gennev.com/education/menopause-and-dehydration
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28562117/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24518152/
11. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/DGA_Cut-Down-On-Added-Sugars.pdf
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25051286/
13. https://www.endocrineweb.com/menopause-alcohol
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28074252/
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22480799/