The various hormones that it produces control a woman’s body. With the onset of menopause, the production of hormones is disrupted resulting in imbalances that have a whole lot of negative effects on the body.
Many women do not want to opt for hormone therapy. In such conditions proper vitamin supplements can help counter menopausal effects. Here are a few vitamins for menopause that will help you fight the battle.
Why do we need vitamins for menopause ?
One of the major reasons is the declining production of estrogen in the body. The falling levels seem to affect the heart, the bones, lead to gaining abdominal weight, LDL cholesterol levels increase and even insulin resistance. All these negative impacts can be controlled either through a rigorous hormone therapy or partly through vitamins for menopause.
Even when a woman is as active as she was earlier with no increase in diet, she tends to gain weight and the bad cholesterol levels rise, as there is not enough estrogen to maintain the balances and the metabolism rates are falling too.
Vitamins during menopause can help fight some of the negative impacts of the falling estrogen hormones.
Importance of a right diet
It is important to eat a well balanced diet rich in fiber to fight the menopausal symptoms. Natural vitamins from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are essential to help stave off the effects.
Soy is a good option to incorporate in the daily diet. It is highly nutritious and can work as a meat substitute reducing the saturated fat content in your diet.
The increased need for vitamins during menopause needs to be met with vitamin supplements. Added vitamins for menopause will fight to decrease the negative effects of menopause.
Fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids help with hormonal imbalances and work to maintain your weight. It also helps with the developing insulin resistance, thus reducing the risk of diabetes. A couple of grams of fish oil daily could do the trick.
Prevent bone deterioration
The weakening bones also need vitamins for menopause. Calcium and vitamin D supplements are essential to maintain good orthopedic health. A menopausal woman needs 1000 mgs of calcium and 600 IUs Vitamin D besides the vitamins she is absorbing from her daily dairy diet. Calcium helps to fortify the bones and the vitamin D helps the body to absorb the calcium.
Weight gain prevention
If a menopausal woman is gaining abdominal weight, has increased blood pressure or has low levels of good (HDL) cholesterol, Chromium picolinate (400 micro grams daily) supplements can help.
Know your “ A,B,C”
Other vitamins required during menopause are Vitamin C, E, B3 and B6 along with multivitamins. 800 IUs of vitamin E everyday can help to reduce the hot flashes women experience. It may take some time before the effects are noticeable. Vitamin B3 and B6 provide anti-oxidants but can be harmful when combined with vitamin E. They also help with insomnia during menopause. Vitamin C during Menopause may have multiple positive impacts as it can help with hot flashes, immunity and with vaginal elasticity and dryness.
Before starting on any vitamin supplements for menopause, it is essential to consult a doctor, especially when on prescription medicines. Vitamins may easily react with them and cause damage. The above mentioned vitamins for menopause can bring positive results when taken under the guidance of a medical practitioner.
