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Menopause and Good Nutrition
Some risk factors and symptoms associated with aging and menopause cannot be changed. However, good nutrition can help prevent or reduce certain conditions that may develop during and after menopause.
What Are Some Basic Dietary Guidelines for Menopause?
During menopause, eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Since women's diets are often low in iron and calcium, follow these guidelines:
- Get enough calcium. Eating and drinking 2-4 servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day will help ensure that you are getting enough calcium in your daily diet. Calcium is found in dairy products, fish with bones such as sardines and canned salmon, broccoli, and legumes. An adequate intake of calcium for women aged 51 and older is 1200 milligrams per day.
- Pump up your iron intake. Eating at least 3 servings of iron-rich foods a day will help ensure that you are getting enough iron in your daily diet. Iron is found in lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and enriched grain products. The recommended dietary allowance for iron in older women is 8 milligrams a day.
- Get enough fiber. Help yourself to foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Most adult women should get about 20 grams of fiber a day.
- Eat fruits and vegetables. Include at least 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables in your daily diet.
- Read labels. Use the package label information to help you to make the best selections for a healthy lifestyle.
- Drink plenty of water. This will help you stay hydrated. It's impossible to determine how much water we all need, because this depends on many factors such as how much you eat, the climate you live in, and how active you are. As a general rule, drinking 8 glasses of water every day fulfills most everyone's daily requirement.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Lose weight if you are overweight by cutting down on portion sizes and reducing foods high in fat, not by skipping meals. A registered dietitian or your doctor can help you determine your ideal body weight.
- Reduce foods high in fat. Fat should provide 30% or less of your total daily calories. Also, limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your total daily calories. Saturated fat raises cholesterol and increases your risk of heart disease. Saturated fat is found in fatty meats, whole milk, ice cream, and cheese. Limit cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams (mg) or less per day. Also try to limit your intake of trans fats, found in vegetable oils, many baked goods, and some margarines. Trans fat also raises cholesterol and increases your risk of heart disease.
- Use sugar and salt in moderation. Too much sodium in the diet is linked to high blood pressure. Also, go easy on smoked, salt-cured, and charbroiled foods -- these foods contain high levels of nitrates, which have been linked to cancer.
- Limit alcohol intake. Women should limit their consumption of alcohol to one or fewer drinks a day.
WebMD Medical Reference
Menopause Guide
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
Ob-Gyn Laura Corio talks about the importance of exercise during menopause.
