menopause

Posted on Rheumatoid arthritis

Early menopause predicts a milder form of rheumatoid arthritis

Panic attacks and the menopause
RA and the menopause


A new study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, shows that early menopause predicts a milder form of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). New insights on factors influencing RA are good news for sufferers of the chronic inflammatory disease that currently affects over 2 million women in Europe. 1,2

The study, based on 134 incident RA cases, found that patients aged over 45 years with a history of early menopause were 50% less likely to develop severe RA (16% versus 35%) and more likely to develop a mild/moderate rheumatoid factor (RF) negative phenotype (58% versus 20%). There was no major difference in RA severity depending on oral contraceptive use or history of breast feeding. This study highlights that hormonal changes may influence pathways that are distinct from those leading to severe, progressive disease.

Dr. Mitra Pikwer from Skåne University Hospital, Sweden, and lead study author commented: “We already know that hormonal factors may influence the risk of RA, but this is the first study we know of that investigates the impact of menopausal age on the severity of RA. This is an important breakthrough, both in helping us understand the impact that hormones may have on the development of this disease and potentially also in helping us predict the long-term prognosis for our patients.”

The study identified patients who answered a questionnaire in a community based health survey (conducted between 1991 and 1996) and later developed RA. Information on hormonal predictors including breastfeeding history, history of oral contraceptive use and menopausal age (early menopause ≤45 years or normal/late menopause > 45 years) was obtained via the questionnaire. By a structured review of the patients medical records, relevant information such as use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including biological treatment, radiographic erosions, rheumatoid factor (RF) status as well as Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ*) data was collected. These variables were added to the SPSS TwoStep Cluster Analysis in order to reveal natural groupings of RA severity.

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Healthy eating during the menopause




A healthy diet for the menopause

A healthy diet for the menopause




Eating a healthy, balanced diet and losing any excess weight can help ease some of the symptoms of the menopause, such as tiredness and hot flushes, and reduce your risk of heart and bone problems.

It’s important to eat a wide variety of foods, in the right amounts and proportions, to get to and maintain a healthy body weight. Following the Eatwell Guide can help you achieve this.

Include foods that are good for the bones

After going through the menopause, your bones will begin to lose density. This can make them weaker over time, so it is important to make sure you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D, which are vital for bone health.

Calcium

Sources of calcium include:

dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt (lower-fat versions have the same amount of calcium)

soya products with added calcium

leafy green vegetables (but not spinach)

some nuts and seeds, including almonds, brazil nuts and sesame seeds

bread and anything made with fortified flour

fish where you eat the bones, such as tinned sardines

Vitamin D

Sources of vitamin D include:

sunlight (during spring and summer only)

oily fish (for example, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines or pilchards)

egg yolks and red meat

liver

products with added vitamin D, such as fortified breakfast cereals

During autumn and winter, you should think about taking a daily vitamin D supplement to make sure you’re getting enough. You can buy these from pharmacies or most large supermarkets.

If you’re concerned about your vitamin D levels, you can speak to your GP about having a blood test to check them. In some cases, you may be prescribed a higher-dose vitamin D supplement.

Read more about bone health during the menopause.

Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day

Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It’s advised that we eat at least 5 portions each day.




Evidence shows that people who eat at least 5 A Day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Surveys have shown that most women aged 50 to 64 eat less than this.

Getting your 5 A Day isn’t as hard as it sounds:

having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get the first portion

swap your mid-morning biscuit for a large slice of pineapple or melon, or 5 cherry tomatoes, for your second portion

add a side salad to your lunch for your third portion

have 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables or pulses with dinner to get your fourth

snack on an apple, pear or 2 tangerines in the evening to get your fifth portion

Read more about what counts towards your 5 A Day.

Base your meals on starchy foods

Starchy foods should make up just over a third of our diet.

Potatoes, for example, are a great source of starch as well as fibre. Leave the skins on where possible to get more of fibre.

Try to choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta and wholemeal bread. They contain more fibre, and usually more vitamins and minerals than white varieties.

Read more about starchy foods.

Why protein is important

Protein plays a vital role in helping the body recover from illness and infections.

Fish is good source of protein, and also contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

You should aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 portion of oily fish. It can be fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt. Choose varieties sold in oil rather than brine.

Meat is another good source of protein. It’s also one of the main dietary sources of vitamin B12, and rich in other vitamins and minerals.

Pick lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to reduce fat. Also, use healthier cooking methods – for example, grilling and steaming rather than frying.

Learn more about meat in your diet.

Eggs, pulses, beans, nuts and tofu are also great sources of protein. Plain, unsalted nuts are high in fibre and protein, but they also contain a lot of unsaturated fats. This means they’re high in calories, so eat them in moderation.

Learn more about eggs in your diet.

Cut down on fats, sugar and salt

Having some fat in your diet is essential, but too much saturated fat can raise the amount of cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of developing heart disease. This is why it’s important to get most of your fat from small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads.

Too much salt in your diet can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Regularly consuming food and drink that’s high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.

Find out more about cutting down on the amount of saturated fat, salt and sugar in your diet.

For more information on how to eat well and maintain a healthy weight, read our 8 tips for healthy eating and check out our healthy recipes section.

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How Chocolate Craving in Perimenopause Results in Weight Gain


Menopause and Chocolate

Menopause and Chocolate




Before menopause, many physical changes take place during a transitional period known as perimenopause. This transitional period can last from 4 to 8 years and usually takes place anywhere between the ages 40 and 51. The usual symptoms of perimenopause are hot flashes and night sweats. Another common symptom women notice is weight gain. While weight gain in perimenopause can partially be attributed to the fluctuating hormone levels, other factors such as dietary habits such as frequent chocolate consumption also play a great role in perimenopause weight gain. If you’ve been experiencing noticeable weight gain lately and are a victim of frequent chocolate cravings, we offer some explanations these cravings may be influencing your weight.

Why women crave chocolate

First of all, we need to understand what exactly are chocolate cravings. Food cravings refer to an intense desire to eat certain foods, and in this case, this food is chocolate. Food cravings are extremely common with 97% of women and 68% of men reporting food cravings at some point in their life. Food cravings are commonly associated with either nutritional deficiencies or low mood. Chocolate as a food is high in magnesium which is why it was proposed in one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association to be due to magnesium deficiencies. However, there are plenty of other foods with a higher magnesium content but that do not cause such cravings which is why this same study concluded that the combination of taste, nutrients, psychoactive ingredients, hormonal fluctuations, and mood cause chocolate cravings in women.

Hormones and the perimenopause

Menstruation during perimenopause become irregular due to fewer follicles being released from the ovaries and a decrease in estrogen according to an article published in Menopause. The decline in estrogen levels can lead to mood disorders in perimenopausal women as hormones play a large role in the regulation of neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Furthermore, these same hormonal changes can in themselves lead to unpredictable weight gain and changes in body composition which can be mitigated with the right menopause treatments such as hormone replacement therapy.




Chocolate cravings and mood

Since women are vulnerable to both weight gain and mood problems during the menopause transition, this could indicate that their chocolate cravings may increase in frequency due to lower levels of estrogen and that they will more easily gain weight at this time in their life as well. One bar of dark chocolate contains as much as 605 calories. Milk chocolate may provide even more calories because it is higher in sugar and fat content. Premenopausal women usually experience chocolate cravings before and during their period. But perimenopausal women don’t have predictable cycles and their food cravings might last even longer due to lower estrogen levels. This might result in a lower overall mood for greater periods of time in the perimenopausal woman which might cause her to have chocolate cravings more frequently.

Other factors
While fluctuating hormones may lead low mood and higher chocolate intake by perimenopausal women, others believe that our habit of regulating our emotions with candy might stem from our cultural background. Dr. Amy Jo Stavnezer, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, explains in Psychology Today that American women, in particular, are more prone to chocolate craving because their culture encourages the idea of chocolate as comfort food in times of stress. This notion was further confirmed in a study on the prevalence of chocolate cravings in women of different cultural backgrounds. The study which was published in Appetite found that up to 60% of American women claimed to have chocolate cravings before their periods in comparison with only 24% of Spanish women. Besides chocolate, other ways you could find relief from perimenopause mood swings is with specially designed menopause product.

Chocolate as addictive but fattening food

Since hormones are not the only cause of chocolate cravings in perimenopausal women, we have to ask what other factors lead to chocolate cravings and weight gain during this period in a woman’s life. Another factor that may play a role is addiction. Relying on chocolate to boost your mood with its high carbohydrate content may cause addictive behavior. This was found to be true in a study on mice which found the mice exhibited behavioral and physical changes in response to sugar consumption.

Conclusion
Perimenopause is a period when many physiological and emotional changes take place. The fluctuating hormones and their effects on a woman’s mood may lead to more frequent chocolate cravings. Since chocolate is highly caloric and since women gain weight easily during this period of their life, chocolate cravings can easily cause unpredictable weight gain. While it may be easier to ask your physician to prescribe medicine for joint pain relief ,for instance, it is also important you address mood problems especially if you are a woman going through menopause in which case your physician may suggest products like Brisdelle.

Author Bio:

Annie Lizstan works as a health and beauty consultant for online websites and an independent researcher by profession. She had completed her studies from university of Arizona and live in Wasilla, Alaska. She always like to explore her ideas about health, fitness and  beauty . In her recent period ,she got an opportunity to explore best skin brighteners. She has experience researching as a passion as well as profession. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Is Hormone Therapy the Best Treatment for Menopause?

Is Hormone Therapy the Best Treatment for Menopause?

 

Panic attacks and the menopause

Panic attacks and the menopause

Hormone therapy is among the best treatments for menopause. It involves administering a therapy containing female hormones that replace the ones that the body no longer makes after menopause. Menopause is a natural body occurrence that takes place both in elderly women and men. In women it happens in an earlier stage as from the age of 40 and above while in men it begins at 60 years. Menopause comes with symptoms that can be difficult to handle since they can become severe. Some of the symptoms are joint pains accompanied by arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, mood swings, and lack of appetite among others. It can be easy to handle these signs if you prepared earlier for them or if your body has high immunity. There are varieties if treating menopause symptoms such as the hormone therapy, exercise and proper feeding.

Benefits of hormone therapy to the treatment for menopause


These benefits depend on whether you use symmetric h hormone therapy or low dose vaginal preparations of estrogen.

  • Low dose vaginal products have the best menopause supplements that effectively treat urinary tract infections and also vaginal symptoms such as dryness.
  • Hormone therapy rich in best menopause supplements that help to stabilize blood pressure and increase body immunity hence the body is able to fight any symptom or disease attack.
  • Systemic hormone therapy contains best menopause supplements that help the most stubborn symptom known as hot flashes. This therapy prevents excessive sweating during the night and also allows peaceful sleep. It gives solution to insomnia patients.
  • Hormone therapy maintains the body performance without bringing to a stop any body process brought about by menopause. Due to the best menopause supplements in the hormone therapy, the body is able to remain active and increase in immunity.
  • Decreased tooth loss and lower risk of colon cancer.
  • Lower death rate of women who take hormone therapy at 50’s
  • Reduce joint pains and diabetes
  • Hormone therapy is said to have the best menopause treatments hence has the ability to improve mood swings and stabilize them as time goes.

 

Menopause and Body Changes – What You Need to Know

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvB4331YRyE

 

Latest Reviews on hormone therapy as the best treatment for menopause

  • Hormone therapy is so beneficial since it allows peace of mind during the process of menopause. The following are the risks that come along with it: breast cancer, stroke, blood clots, and heart disease. This hormonal therapy makes it difficult for the mammogram to detect breast cancer.
  • The latest review reveals that not every woman should consider hormone therapy due to the negative effect. If you need a hormone therapies consider the following qualifications:
  1. If your menses ended before you gained 40 years i.e. early menopause/premature menopause.
  2. If you are experiencing severe hot flushes or any other disturbing menopause system.
  • If you have tried the best menopause supplements one of them is Menopace and they have failed
  1. If you are experiencing rapid bone mass loss.
  • In the latest review is stated that menopause has cause loss of body immunity in many women. This is because by trying to deal with menopause symptoms they acquire other health problems. If a woman got her ovary removed at an early stage, she is at very great risk if she can try hormone therapy. The following are some of the related risks: early death, anxiety, coronary heart disease, depression, and osteoporosis.
  • These reviews gave the advantage of early menopause to be related to breast cancer. Whereby any woman who experienced early menopause i.e. at the age of 30 to 40 is at lower risk of breast cancer. They do not have to take the best menopause supplements since their immune system is still high. It can be able to deal with any disturbing health problem without getting weaker.
  • Featured in the latest reviews the women who take hormonal therapy reap more benefits than risks. This is because the best menopause treatments are involved in the therapy hence will always give a positive result.
  • Hormonal therapy does not treat heart disease.

Conclusion

It is wise to consult your doctor on whether to take hormonal therapy or not since your body hormones may react negatively. Prepare for menopause in advance in order to have an easy time during the process. You can buy a fan that will help you have fresh air in order to reduce excessive sweating at night. You can also talk with a gym instructor to help you perform exercise that will boost your joint activeness and reduce pain. Have prior knowledge in relation to hormonal therapy so that you can be able to deal with some of the body changes and reaction after the hormonal therapy is performed.

Reference

https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/menopause-center/

https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health

About the Author

Katleen Brown is a health, beauty and fitness writer. She loves to publish her articles on various health related websites. In her spare time, she likes to do research to bring awareness. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and outlook, she helps empower women to tune into their innate & inner wisdom to transform their health and truly flourish. Get in touch with her on G+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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What to eat and what not to eat: Menopause diet

Menopause is one of the major health concerns experienced by women in their early 50’s. Reduced oestrogen levels in the body  cause a number of symptoms such as insomnia, hot flushes, depression to name a few.  The need for hormonal balance is treated by hormonal treatments and supplementation like Estrobalance with DIM.

Diet and the menopause

Diet and the menopause

Estrobalance with DIM balances estrogen levels and promotes healthy estrogen metabolism. Estrobalance contains specially formulate DMI that is readily absorbed by the body to promote hormonal balance. The supplement that is considered safe to use is also known to improve breast wellness and healthy cell promotion in the body.

Aside from hormonal therapy and supplementation, diet planned to address specific nutritional requirements of menopausal women is known to alleviate symptoms of menopause.

Eat healthy to manage symptoms

  1. Night sweats and hot flashes

One of the most common and dreaded symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flushes can be effectively managed when the following dietary suggestions are followed:

What to eat

  • Diet consisting proteins, healthy fats and fibre rich phytonutrients.
  • Pepper, Garlic, strawberries, pasta and moderate amount of red wine.
  • Mediterranean styled diet
  • Plenty of clear water and liquids, fresh fruits and whole grains

 

What not to eat

  • Junk food that contain unhealthy fats and sugar in high amounts
  • Excessive caffeine, alcohol that may dehydrate the system

 

  1. Fatigue and weight gain

Hormonal imbalance in the body can cause extreme fatigue and a slow metabolism resulting in accumulation of fat leading to weight gain.

What to eat

    • In general, moderate intake of nutritious food is recommended to combat slow digestion during menopause.


  • Complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal pasta, rice, bread and brown grains can help the body to digest better.
  • Food rich in dietary fibres such as whole grains, cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables facilitate digestion and helps menopausal women to manage their weight and energy levels.

What not to eat

  • Processed food that contain unhealthy fat and sugar should be eliminated from the diet
  • Crash diets are not healthy to lose weight.
  • Consuming white bread or rice in excess results in weight gain

 

  1. Dry and itchy skin

With the onset of menopause women experience dry and itchy skin due to reduced levels of estrogen.

What to eat

  • Food rich in ‘smart fats’ i.e., Essential Fatty Acids. High content of essential fatty acids are found in fish (Salmon/Sardines), fortified eggs, nuts, soy, flaxseed oil and safflower oil.
  • Food rich in Vitamin C such as fresh citrus fruits, vegetables like peppercorns, tomatoes, potatoes, greens etc, can sooth the dry skin.
  • Consumption of water and clear liquid is found to be helpful for dry skin.

What not to eat

  • Excess of caffeine and alcohol will dehydrate the system and skin loses its moisture leading to itchy and dry skin.
  • Unhealthy fats and sugar affect the skin causing acne and dryness.

 

  1. Irritability and depression

As per a study conducted by Bromberger JT, Chang YF, Kravitz HM and others on  major depression during menopausal transition, it was found that peri-menopausal or post menopausal women were twice or four times likely to develop major depression.

What to eat

  • Food rich in Essential fatty Acids is known to reduce depression and mood swings.
  • Consumption of fresh fruits and plenty of water is known to calm the mind and body.

What not to eat

  • Excess of alcohol and smoking can aggravate mood swings.
  • Excess of caffeine is found to affect sleep patterns and aggravates mood swings and depression.
  • Junk food is addictive and often leads to weight gain causing depression or mood swings.

 

  1. Bone health

Menopausal joint pain facts are startling. According to a population survey, joint pain was more prevalent in women than men. 41% of Peri –menopausal and 57% of post-menopausal women experienced sever inflammation of the joints.  Menopausal women are at an increased risk of developing Arthritis or Osteoporosis.

What to eat

  • Foods rich in calcium and Iron such as greens are beneficial to prevent bone loss.
  • Beans are an amazing source of calcium
  • Dietary supplementation for Calcium and iron is also advised.

What not to eat

  • Crash diet with unhealthy fats and sugar may deprive the body of essential nutrients to fight bone loss resulting in aggravated symptoms.

Prognosis

A menopause diet is beneficial to fight menopause symptoms.  Aside from nutritious food women can also choose the right dietary supplements from health product reviews to manage the symptoms effectively.

 

References:

  1. https://blogs.consumerhealthdigest.com/10-best-foods-for-menopause-symptom-relief.html
  2. https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/menopause-center/

Author Bio

Kathy Mitchell was born and raised in the USA. She has done MA in English literature. She is contributing to consumer health digest since 2011. You can contact her on Facebook and Twitter