Eating healthy during menopause

Menopause is the final menstrual period. It is a natural part of life. The average age for women in Bangladesh to reach menopause is 50. But it can happen anytime from 45 to 55 years. Menopausal symptoms vary with every person. Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, weight gain, sleep disturbances and mood changes. However, some people go through menopause with no real symptoms. Long-term consequences can include osteoporosis, heart disease, even dementia - all linked to reduced oestrogen levels.

Healthy eating is an important part of caring for a woman concerned during menopause. It gives your body nutrients you need, like calcium and vitamin D. It helps one stay at a healthy weight. And it can reduce one's risk for health problems that are more common after menopause, such as heart disease and bone loss. During this time, about 1,200 milligram of calcium and 800 units of vitamin D are needed for a woman every day. So, if one undergoes this phase of life, eating milk, dairy products, cheese, soybeans, raw almonds, walnuts, thorny fish on a regular basis helps. Apart from these, food containing magnesium helps reduce depression and restlessness.

Ashikujaman Syed,

Research Assistant,

Bioinformatics Research Lab,

Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),

[email protected]