That time of life

Following a Mediterranean diet may play a role in improving women's wellbeing during their menopausal years.

- Jennifer Bowden

Question:

Can the food we eat and what we drink affect a woman's experience of menopause?

Answer: Most women feel unprepared for menopause, according to a 2018 study in the journal Maturitas. Perhaps not a surprising finding, due to the lack of clear guidance given to women on how to manage the barrage of symptoms that arrive in midlife from hot flashes to night sweats, disturbed sleep, mood swings, anxiety, irregular periods, decreased fertility, increased abdominal fat, thinning hair and more. Menopause may be a natural biological change in a woman's life cycle - the end of menstruation and fertility - but it's not often a recipe for quality of life in the short term.

Certain dietary patterns may reduce the unpleasant side effects like hot flashes and night sweats.

Add to that the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis that accompanies menopause. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New Zealand women. An estimated one in three women over 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation. So, is there something we could, and should, do to improve our wellbeing during the perimenopause period and to boost our long-term health?

There is increasing recognition that diet can help improve women's health at menopause, as well as reducing the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, dementia and cognitive decline. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that certain dietary patterns, in particular the Mediterranean diet, may reduce the particularly unpleasant side effects of perimenopause, such as vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.