World Menopause Day 2021

Today is World Menopause Day. The purpose of World Menopause Day is to provide an opportunity each year to raise awareness of menopause and the different ways support is available to improve the health and wellbeing of menopausal women. And improving the health and wellbeing of women is good for everyone. 

The theme for World Menopause Day 2021 is bone health. Bone health is an important factor in the health of menopausal women because at menopause the levels of the hormone oestrogen have declined significantly, and with this comes a reduction in the protective effects oestrogen has on bone. The reduction in bone density that results increases the risk of fractures, which can not only greatly reduce quality of life, but can even lead to an increased risk of mortality. So, reducing risk is an important part of maintaining health for women beyond menopause.

Certain modifiable diet and lifestyle factors can help reduce risk. These include having a healthy BMI (a healthy weight to height ratio), stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and increasing physical activity. In particular, increasing the amount of weight bearing and resistance exercise you do, but also ensuring plenty of exercise that maintains muscle mass and strength.

We all know that calcium is important for the health of our bones, but calcium adequacy also relies of healthy levels of vitamin D and magnesium, as magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form, which then aids in calcium absorption.

The best way to increase vitamin D is to expose your skin (even just the under sides of your arms, or the bottom part of your legs) to the sun for 10-15mins each day, outside of the hottest hours of the day (11-3pm). Due to extended lockdowns in many parts of the world and especially here in Melbourne, if you haven’t been supplementing with vitamin D over winter then you’re likely to be low and you may need to supplement in the short term to increase your levels. It’s a good idea to book in with your GP and get your levels assessed before taking any supplements.

 Some foods that will help you maintain adequate calcium and magnesium levels include: tinned salmon with the bones (crush the soft bones into the salmon); sardines; tahini, fermented soy products such as tempeh; almonds and cashews; prunes and figs; natural unsweetened yoghurt; kidney beans or chickpeas; barley; buckwheat; leafy green veggies such as kale, silverbeet or bok choy.

 The recommended daily intake of calcium for women over the age of 50 is 1300mg daily. This is roughly the equivalent of eating:

Tahini: 20g / 1 tablespoon

Yoghurt: 200g

Cheese (cheddar): 1 slice / 30g

Sardines: 5 whole; or tinned salmon with bones ½ cup; or tofu (firm) 100g

silverbeet / bok choy: 1 cup

It’s also important to avoid the things that can increase calcium losses from the body. This includes avoiding or reducing intake of sugar and sweetened drinks, especially carbonated soft drinks; keeping caffeine intake to a minimum; reducing salt intake; and balancing red meat consumption with plenty of fish and vegetables.

Another lesser known but important factor in bone health is adequate vitamin K2 status. Vitamin K2 is manufactured by bacteria in the gut and has an important role in maintaining bone. It’s only available in a few food sources such as natto (fermented soy beans) and cheese, and may need to be supplemented to ensure adequate health of your bones: supplementation of vitamin K2 together with vitamin D and calcium has been shown to be effective in improving bone mineral status in post-menopausal women.

Your naturopath can help you maximise bone mineral density through education, dietary and lifestyle changes, and where appropriate, supplements. This is true whether you are young and still laying down bone mass; or in your reproductive years (when it’s essential to supply enough calcium to support your baby’s growing body without diminishing your own supply); perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal.

If you think you may be at risk of osteoporosis due to menopause, or you have a family history of osteoporosis, or you simply want to reduce your risk as much as possible, then get in touch for some tailored, professional advice. It’s important not to just start supplementing yourself with vitamins and minerals from the chemist as a delicate balance exists between what’s healthy and what’s harmful, even with natural products, so get advice from a qualified practitioner and ensure your best health, long into the future.